Lion King III: Sweet Revenge
by Desray95
Summary: Kovu and Kiara are the proud parents of two cubs: Keisha and Zarina. But tragedy strikes when an old enemy comes back to reclaim what's her's. Rated T for suggestive themes and swearing in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1: Twins!

**Well it's back up! By popular demand, I've decided to re-upload Sweet Revenge. I had to re-write most of the chapters (I only saved two x] Silly me.) so the words are different and stuff. But the plot's pretty much the same. But some things were taken out and new things are put in. I hope you still like it.**

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><p>~1~<p>

A lioness sheltered herself in a dimly lit den. Water drips from the roof of the cave frequently, giving off an audible plop every second or so. The cave is so dark that she could barely see the ball of fluff that purred in her arms. The child was born just a few hours before, and him and his mother were on the run.

"Don't worry, Sweetie." said the young lioness to her frightened son. "Mommy's gonna take you back home and we'll be safe and sound."

She licked him tenderly. Her olive-eyed son cooed back at her. She glowed proudly at her boy. If she got out of this alive, they'd both be out of harm's way and they'd eventually find someone to accept them.

"Who'd turn down a new mother?" she thought.

But suddenly, she shot up. Her nostrils flared as the smell of smoke filled her nose. She darted her head left and right. A ring of fire trapped the two!

"No!" she bellowed before she grabbed her son and headed to safety.

The sea of flames trailed right behind mother and son. The thick smoke blinded the young mother, but she could still see the figures looming in and out of the clouds, their true identities remained hidden by the smog. Her cub was coughing violently and her eyes were watery and red.

Finally, she saw a safe haven—a large boulder high enough to get fresh air. She hoisted herself up onto the boulder and dropped her son onto the surface. Her breaths were becoming more labored. She tried her hardest not to frighten her son, who was already groaning and whimpering.

"We'll be alright," she wheezed. "We'll be alright…"

She collapsed onto the hard surface. The cub buried himself into the crook of her arms, hoping he could shield himself from the madness that took place around them. A sinister chuckle could be heard. Then, yet another figure appeared as the clouds wafted away.

"You know the penalty for betraying us, Tamu." she growled.

"I'd rather die a thousand deaths than give you my son!" Tamu shot back, despite her health.

"Suit yourself."

"You'll get what's coming to you. You and that other piece of trash!" Tamu said with effort. It was obvious her end was near. "Z-Zira."

With one last breath, her head fell and she died. Zira pressed her paw against her windpipe, to make sure she was really dead. The cub felt his mother's body grow cold. He yowled for her soothing voice, hoping for a response. Nothing. He had a glimmer of hope when she saw her arm being lifted. But he buried back into her dirt brown pelt when he saw Zira's face peering into his secret refuge.

"Hello there, little one." she smiled. "You're coming with me."

He tried to avoid her grip, but she caught him by the nape of his neck and carried him back to the rest of the pride. The 'pride' actually consisted of just three lions: the unnamed newborn cub, Zira and her new mate, Vuta. He was about Simba's age but mightier. He was a sandy brown with eyes as blue as the Mediterranean. The rest were a group of about ten hyenas who were still loyal to Scar and Zira, even after he betrayed them. The group included Malaika, the daughter of Banzai and Shenzi. She was resented by the pack as a pup. She was even ostracized by her own parents. She eventually took off, along with the others. She and her mate, Talib, gave birth to two hyena pups, Nama and Obi, just a few weeks before Gamba was born.

"Vuta." Zira smiled as she dropped the frightened cub in front of him.

He chortled heartily at the sight of the shaking boy.

"Gamba, my boy." he said. "I'll train you to be a true warrior."

He then turned his attention to Zira.

"Take him and follow me." he ordered.

Zira complied and they reached a cliff. At the bottom, the hyenas roared with laughter and buzzed with life.

"**SILENCE!**" Vuta roared, his thunderous voice bringing the pack's liveliness to a sudden stop.

His lips curled into a menacing smile as Zira presented the cub.

"A prince has been born!" he yelled, making the hyenas cheer with cacophonic howls and laughs.

"We are sure Prince Gamba will lead us to victory!"

The cheering grew even louder and more powerful. Vuta's ruthless smirk grew even wider. Gamba looked down at the horde. He wasn't quite sure what was happening. He wished his mother was here to pacify him with her angelic voice and assuring words.

"We **WILL** get our vengeance and we **WILL** take what's rightfully ours!"

"All hail Prince Gamba!" the hyenas cheered in unison.

"All hail Prince Gamba!"

"All hail Prince Gamba!"

"All hail Prince Gamba!"

Their cheerful song took place for the rest of the night, but the very next morning, yet another birth took place. But it was further down. A magenta colored bird swooped into a baobab tree. She was Zazu's daughter and the new royal advisor.

"Had a good night's sleep, Rafiki?" she asked cheerfully. "I hope you did because you have _**TWICE**_ as much work to do today."

"Aha! Tweenz?" he responded in shock.

"They were born early this morning. Such an adorable pair."

"There's something veeeery special about tweenz, Nyoni."

"Oh?" she replied with a hint of curiosity in her tone. "How come?"

"Yes! They ah very close, close-ah than regul-ah seeblingz."

"I had four brothers and sisters, and I don't feel close to any of them."

"No! Only tweenz! You see, Nyoni, tweenz very close because they have special power."

"Special power?" Nyoni asked quizzically.

"Yes! When one tween goes missing, the other tween can find him. When one tween is talking, the other tween already knows what he says."

"Maybe it's just coinciden—."

"**No! Special tween power!**" Rafiki interjected.

"Well as much as I'd like to stay and chat about this _*ahem*_ 'special tween power', I have to announce the birth." Nyoni said nonchalantly before she took off. "See you later!"

Rafiki looked at her fly off.

"Eh-hehe. She's too young to understand. Teez a shame Zazu couldn't live long enough to see his beyooteeful dautah grow." he continued solemnly as he looked over to a mound of dirt. "But teez part of the great circle of life."

He grabbed his stick and ambled towards the rock, where many of the animals began to group. Meanwhile, inside the rock, many of the lionesses gathered around the new parents.

"Oh Kiara, they're so beautiful!"

"They look so much like their Mommy."

"I'm so proud of you both!"

Kiara and Kovu beamed proudly at their cubs. Two little girls. The oldest was a splitting image of her mother. The same golden fur and her beautiful royal red eyes. The youngest of the brood was a tan furred cub who inherited Kovu's eyes but most of Kiara's features. Her fur was a mix of Kiara and Kovu's pelts.

"Have you thought of any names?" Nyoni grinned as she glided to them.

"The gold one's name is Zarina." Kiara said warmly.

"Very fitting, your majesty."

"And the brown one's name is Keisha." Kovu added.

"They're adorable."

"Thank-you, Nyoni. Any sign of Rafiki?" Kiara asked.

"He's on his way." she replied. "Just give him a minute or so. He's no spring chicken you know."

The comment triggered a warm chuckle from Kiara, who focused back on her oldest cub once she yowled.

"Wow," a cub said in awe to her brother, who shared her features. "They're so tiny."

"Yeah!" her brother responded. He looked up at his mother. "Mommy? Were we that tiny?"

"Yes, you most certainly were." his mother, Kandi, smiled as she nuzzled them both lovingly. "You and Fola were very cute babies as well."

"All babies are." Fola added. "Except for Jabari. Cause he's got a big head." she said with a laugh.

"Shut up, were twins!" Jabari snarled.

"You shut up, Bighead!"

"Hush!" Kandi scolded to both her cubs.

"Sorry," they said simultaneously.

Vitani watched through the crowd. Her little brother's proud grin must've been contagious because she couldn't help but smile as well. Her son, Jelani, who was just a month older than his royal cousins, wriggled and squirmed in Vitani's grip. He wanted to meet the new cubs up close, but Vitani wouldn't budge. From what he saw, the mandrill had finally arrived, smudging their tiny foreheads with the various fruit juices and sprinkling sand on top to finish it off. He was also muttering something in Swahili. Simba and Nala exchanged looks, both with wide smiles on their faces.

Rafiki lifted up Zarina. Being the oldest, she was the one who would be presented first. He took slow steps towards the ledge. Zarina's beady eyes glided from one side to the other, taking note of all the animals that arrived to see her. Rafiki sent her in the air and they began to trumpet, chirp, roar, tweet and screech. Zarina smiled down at them as they began to bow down at the sight of their future queen. Rafiki slowly brought him back in his arms and transferred her back to her smiling parents.

Now it was Keisha's turn. She looked back at her parents hesitantly.

"It's okay, Keisha." Kiara giggled.

She looked down at the other animals. Her glower soon turned into a big smile. She tried to reach out to them with her tiny arms. When Rafiki lifted her, she thrashed and kicked giddily. She emitted an energetic laugh as a response to the other animals' sounds. She wriggled around so much, that she nearly fell out of the mandrill's leathery hands. But fortunately, he caught her before she could plummet. Rafiki brought the feisty cub to her mother and placed his warm hand on Kovu's shoulder.

"Thank-you." the brown lion said gratefully.

Without Rafiki, he might've never fallen in love with Kiara and they wouldn't have had those two beautiful cubs. Rafiki's fingers curled slightly, wrapping around the king's broad shoulder.

"Your tweenz arrival has meaning." he smiled. "A great change will come."

Kovu wasn't quite sure what he meant, but before he could ask, the wise mandrill was long gone.

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><p><strong>Well there was the very first chapter. If you liked it, great! If not, that's okay too I guess. But if you want, feel free to give some pointers. Be advised that ranting and constructive criticism are two different things. Thanks! :)<strong>


	2. Chapter 2: A New Threat

**Thanks for your reviews, guys! To be honest, I missed writing this story SOO much. I kind of regret deleting it now. :P **

**Anyway, who else is watching Lion King 3D? I REALLY want to go! Coming out September 16th. And I heard it's only lasting two weeks. I wonder if they're showing the theater version or the "special" version. If you guys don't know what it is, it's this version that has this deleted song called "The Morning Report" instead of that pouncing lesson scene. To be honest, I hate the song. Not because of Zazu (he's not bad :D). But cause the scene before it was so serious and that song just rapes it. Nevertheless, I can't wait! :) **

**Alright, here's chapter 2.**

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><p>~2~<p>

Many moons had passed. The early morning sun draped over the desolate lands. They are parched and the terrain is hard and cracked. Nevertheless, the youthful prince Gamba, along with his two hyena friends, darted away together, tackling each other on occasion. The trio's roughhousing came to an end when they collided into a wall of brown fur. As soon as Gamba's looked up, he shook in fear.

"Good morning, Vuta."

"What do you think you're doing?" he snarled at him.

"P…playing, Vuta." Gamba quivered timidly.

"Playing! What a waste of time."

He guided the cub to his direction with his paw.

"You have training to do."

"But, Vuta. I'm always training." said the fallow cub. "I want to have some fun with Nama and Obi."

Vuta became frighteningly calm.

"Fun…**FUN?**"

The startled cub held his tongue, not wanting to anger the unpredictable king any further.

"**WHAT KIND OF KING GOT HIS WAY HAVING FUN, YOU FOOL?**"

"I'm s-s-sorry, Vuta." Gamba quavered, on the verge of tears.

He didn't care if Nama and Obi were still there. Even they began shook in fear.

"**GET BACK IN THE DEN.**" Vuta boomed. "**I HAVE HALF A MIND TO BEAT SOME SENSE INTO THAT BRAIN OF YOUR'S!**"

Gamba dejectedly dragged himself back to the den. Vuta groaned in disgust before he turned away, ready to tend to something else. He muttered something under his breath while Gamba watched from outside. When the coast was clear, the jet-black hyena cubs trotted to the den, trying to console the miserable cub.

"Are you gonna be okay, Gamba?" Nama asked.

"Yeah, I guess…" he replied glumly.

Obi noticed his friend's misery. Suddenly, a light bulb went off in his head. His maroon eyes shot open.

"Come on, buddy." he said to the prince. "We'll play, whether Vuta likes it or not."

"I-I uhh…don't think that's a good idea." the lion cub replied quietly.

"Come on, Gamba. We'll be back before he even notices we're gone."

Gamba looked off, thinking about the possible consequences in store if Obi's plan backfired—which would most likely happen. Finally, he looked back at him, a sly smile on his face.

"Let's go…Buddy." he laughed.

"That's the spirit!" Nama cheered.

The trio ran out of the den before Vuta or even Zira could figure out what happened. They headed west, running through a strip of land.

"So where are we heading?" Nama asked her brother.

"I know just the place." Obi responded with a smirk.

He then turned his attention to Gamba.

"Hey, Gamba, you like swimming?" he asked.

He was still nervous that Vuta and Zira would find about his misdoings. Maybe a nice swim could drown his thoughts.

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><p>Meanwhile, the cubs in the Pridelands were bright-eyed as well. Zarina was out with Kovu and Kiara, who was busy teaching her about the assets and responsibilities about being the queen of the Pridelands. Keisha, who felt a bit neglected, decided to kill time by hanging out with Jelani. The air was hot and sticky.<p>

"So on the count of three, we run out and scare the heck outta 'em." Jelani whispered to his little cousin, who could barely control her giggles.

The two crouched down into the long stalks of grass. The duo exchanged looks one last time before they readied themselves. But before they could leap, a demanding voice stopped the cubs in their tracks.

"And what do you two think you're doing?"

Keisha immediately got up.

"Uh…hehe. It's a real funny story, Nyoni." Keisha said nervously.

"Yeah!" Jelani added. "We were just uh…bird watching!"

"In 3 feet of grass?"

Keisha nodded in agreement. Nyoni wasn't falling for it.

"I was born at night, but I wasn't born _**last**_ night." she smirked. "Now leave the herd alone."

The cubs trotted behind the puce plumaged bird. Suddenly, another thought came up. Keisha leapt away and Jelani looked back at her. He curiously trailed behind her. By the time Nyoni realized the two were not following her, they were long gone.

"Keisha…" she said quietly. "…Jelani?"

"**RAWRR!**"

In the blink of an eye, the princess leapt onto the bird and pinned her down with her two paws. Jelani was guffawing from behind.

"Oh, haha. Yes, get your jollies." Nyoni scoffed as she dusted herself off.

"We were just playing, Nyoni." Keisha said innocently.

The bird didn't respond. Instead, she just walked away, but squawked in horror when she ran into a wall of sharp teeth.

"Oh for the love of…**JELANI**!"

The princess and her cousin were now tearing up from laughing so hard. A humiliated Nyoni just growled under her breath.

"Are you two giving Nyoni trouble?" a golden furred lion asked.

"Grandad!" Keisha exclaimed as she nuzzled him.

"God, I don't know how Daddy did it." Nyoni moaned. "I think I'm starting to grow gray feathers because of those two demons."

Keisha and Jelani giggled to themselves.

"Give her a break, guys. She's new." Simba said jokingly.

He looked down at the weary bird.

"I got it from here, Nyoni." he smiled.

She smiled back timidly before she flew off.

"Can you tell us one of your stories, Grandad?" Keisha asked.

"Alright, let's go." Simba replied warmly.

When the trio found a comfortable spot—a shady acacia tree, Simba sprawled himself on the lively green grass and the cubs looked at him eagerly, wondering what tales from the past he had to offer. In the end, he chose a silly story about the time he got lost in the jungle and wound up encountering a travelling orchestra of crickets and a juggling monkey who were hoping to make it big someday.

"Did you ever see them again?" Jelani asked, his eyes widened in suspense.

"Unfortunately, I never saw them after that night." Simba chuckled. "But they said they were never gonna give up. Anyway, ready for another story?"

"Maybe later," Keisha answered with a wide smile. "Me and Jelani are gonna go to the waterhole. Maybe we'll find Zarina."

"Alright, kiddo." Simba smiled as his paw rustled the brown tuft on his granddaughter's hair.

The brown cub gave her grandfather one last nuzzle before she ran after her cousin. When they got to the waterhole, they came to a screeching halt. All the herbivores were crowded to one side while a lion cub and two hyena pups waddled and swam in the water.

"**Out our way, herbs!**"

"**Hey Obi, watch me doggy paddle.**"

"**Hey Nama, think fast!**"

Keisha narrowed her eyes as she neared the trio. But suddenly, she felt someone step on her tail. She swiftly turned back.

"Zarina, lemme go!" she scowled.

"You're not going out there!" Zarina responded. "Just get Mom or Dad and they'll settle it."

"No way! I'm not a baby. I don't need my Mom and Dad."

"But Keisha!" Zarina groaned as she applied pressure to Keisha's tail. "A princess must respect all animals no matter where they came from or how bitter they are."

"**And **they protect their lands from losers who wanna hog the waterhole!" Keisha retorted, yanking her tail from Zarina's hold.

The foreign cubs were too busy splashing each other and getting on that they didn't even notice Keisha until she yelled at them.

"This is a public waterhole!" she frowned. "You gotta go!"

"Hey look, Gamba." Obi snided. "It's the princess."

"Oh no," Gamba responded sarcastically. "I hope she doesn't hurt us!"

"You better shut up." Keisha growled at them.

"Or what?" Nama teased. "You gonna get your _Daaaddy_? Haha!"

"**No!**"

"Bet she will!" Obi snapped.

"I'll pound you!" Keisha roared.

"Oh we're _sooooo_ scared." Gamba said sarcastically before he burst out laughing.

Enraged, Keisha leapt onto Gamba, clawing him hard in the face. The male cub recollected his strength and pushed her off, his claws raking against her cheek. Keisha got up, four deep red marks on the left side of her face. Gamba looked down on her.

"Finish her guys." he laughed as he jerked his head towards Nama and Obi.

Just as Nama and Obi loomed above her, a loud roar was heard. The four looked back at the scene. It was Zarina and Jelani, who had guided Kovu to the scene. The hyena pups immediately scurried back behind Gamba, while Keisha got up, her body soaked. She gave a cheesy grin, which only made her father angrier. She ran back to Kovu, who noticed the scratches on her face.

"What happened?" he asked her.

"He scratched me." Keisha replied, looking at Gamba, who looked petrified.

"**Where did you come from?**"

"I-I-uh live in a pride a couple miles from here." Gamba stuttered.

"**You and your friends get out before I do it for you.**"

Before the other cubs could reply, another lion appeared out of nowhere and looked Kovu in the eye.

"Vuta!" Gamba said in relief.

He ran over to greet him, but Vuta snarled at him.

"**Get away from me!**" he spat.

Gamba stopped dead in his tracks and stepped back to Nama and Obi. He turned his attention to Kovu and the cubs.

"Take your son and **leave immediately**." the king ordered.

"Enjoy your reign while you can, Kovu." Vuta snarled. "Because once the time is right, Zira and I **will** kill you and we **will** reclaim what's ours."

"My mother is dead!"

"You fool! I found her and nursed her back to health. She doesn't deserve a son like you. You're no king, you're a **traitor**!"

Kovu roared furiously at him. Vuta was unfazed and only grinned. He eyed the three cubs that shook in fear behind Kovu's front legs.

"I'll get you, and you're little rats too." he chuckled before he turned away.

He ordered Gamba, Nama and Obi to follow him back to the rest of the pride. Kovu looked down at the cubs.

"Daddy, who's Zira?" Zarina asked.

"And why does she hate us so much?" Keisha asked in a whisper. "We never met her."

"And is he really gonna kill us?" Jelani questioned fearfully.

Kovu ignored all their responses. He didn't want to scare them more.

"Come on." he said. "We have to go home now."

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><p><strong>I didn't want to make the update too long. This chapter is kinda crappy! But I hope you still like it. With school and all, the updates will probably be less frequent. I started on Thursday, and it's going great so far! :) Junior year's no joke though. :P So hopefully, I'll post the next chapter in about 2-3 weeks. If not, I'm sorry. Review please. :)<strong>


	3. Chapter 3: The Quest for Vengeance

**I'm sooo sorry about how long it took to update. I'll start with Sweet Revenge first, since I do have some of the plot from the old version of the story. I'll just blend it in with the new one. Now on to the reviews! Thanks for all of them. They're really appreciated. I forgot to thank my reviewers (my mistake), so here goes. **

**lilMonkeyCupcakes: Ha, I know. I remember we used to e-mail each other about a year back. I'm glad you're still following! :)**

**Silverbellsb: Thanks! I missed writing it too! **

**Ke-KeShan: You're one of my favorite fans. You're super cool and you're super funny and your stories are really good too! I'm glad I have people like you supporting me. :)**

**Shanni81: Thanks! But I think everyone's story on here is really good. I'd like to check yours out, but you wrote your review anonymously. :( So I'll see if I can find ya! **

**Princess Aaliyah: Thanks for the reviews! And unfortunately, not much of the plot has changed. I know a lot of people had problems with the deaths and the graphic detail, so I'll probably tone down on it and not make it so lurid. :) If that helps!**

**Without further ado, here's…chapter 3!**

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><p>~3~<p>

Keisha's howls of pain could be heard from miles away.

"Keep quiet, you big baby!" Zarina scolded.

"Shut up!" the princess shouted back. "It stings!"

"Eazy dere, leetel one." Rafiki crooned, wiping the fragments of his newest potion away from the cub's cheeks. "It will steeng but only for a leetel bit."

Keisha glared at him for a while, ready to tell him some words. But her verbal fury got caught in her throat and instead, she bit hard onto her lip, trying not to scream again.

"Is it really _**that**_ painful, Keish?" Jelani inquired, taking note of the red scars that now glowed intensely.

The sand furred princess pouted impatiently. Soon enough, Rafiki was finally finished disinfecting the princess's wound.

"You should be more cayeful, leetel one." he reminded. "Curiosity may one day keel the cat."

With that, he chuckled to himself as he ambled out of the den and back to his aging baobab tree. Nyoni, who was babysitting the group while the older lionesses were on hunt, flew down towards the cub.

"May this be a lesson to you, Princess." she scolded. "You shouldn't go looking for trouble."

"Oh shut up, you're not my mother." Keisha scoffed. "Besides, even the bravest of lions had their occasional slip-up." she added with a laugh.

"More like daily…" Zarina laughed.

"**Shut up!**"

"Make me."

"I don't make monkeys, I train 'em!"

"Take that back!"

"**NO!**"

"Both of you!" Nyoni snapped. "**Quiet!**"

The cubs glared at each other once more before they angrily fastened their eyes on the fed up hornbill.

"Now until you two are ready to rejoin civilization and stop acting like primates, both of you stay in that corner!"

"Yes, Ma'am." Keisha grumbled under her breath.

"What did you say?"

"**I said 'OK'!**" Keisha snapped audibly.

She curled herself into a ball and mumbled something to herself while Zarina looked dejectedly outside, where the sun was beginning to set. When Keisha surveyed her closer, she realized she was crying.

"Pssh, what's wrong with you?" she asked humorously.

"I've never gotten in trouble before." Zarina sniffed back.

"Don't listen to Nyoni. She's just an old worrywart. Daddy usually takes all the things she says with a grain of salt. I heard him say that."

"Hmm, she is Zazu's daughter after all."

This comment triggered a giggle from both sisters.

"It's no big deal, Zarina."

"Of course _you'd_ say that." the golden cub snickered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Keisha asked, cocking an eyebrow. "I get in trouble all the time and I never cry."

"Yeah, but you're Keisha! You have to go through this on a daily basis. Ever since you could walk, you've been getting into heaps of trouble. I mean, if I were anything like you, so reckless and carefree, what kind of queen would I be?"

"Zarina. You're the smartest, most responsible cub I've ever met in all my life! You'll be the best queen this place ever had!"

"Do you really think so?" the princess asked bashfully.

"I **know **so!"

Zarina rolled onto her side, smiling up at her sister.

"Keisha, I don't care what anyone says." she said. "No matter how much trouble you get yourself into—I'm really lucky to have a sister like you."

"Ditto," Keisha said with a smile as she rested her head on her sister's back and purred.

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><p>Unfortunately, the scene at Gamba's pride wasn't as touching. Vuta had just ushered the trio back to their pride. The cub and his canine companions looked up at the lion. It was useless giving him an alibi, as it would only anger him more and then things could get physical.<p>

"We should get to our mother now." Nama said. "I can hear her calling."

"You can?" Obi asked cluelessly.

"_**Obi!**_"

"Wait, I hear her too!" he said nervously. "Good luck—err…I mean good night, Gamba."

The pups darted off, escaping from Vuta's wrath.

"**WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO YOU, YOU IDIOT BOY?**"

"V-Vuta I didn't mean too!" the cub stammered in defense. "Obi—."

Vuta slammed Gamba to the ground.

"Take accountability for your own mistakes! **You** are the prince and you have more power than those morons combined. You're a weakling! And too add insult to injury, you're conversing with the enemies! I should—."

"**What is going on here?**" a female voice shouted so loud, it startled the whole pride.

"Zira…"

Her presence usually meant that someone was in **a lot** of trouble.

"_Now he's really in for it._" Obi whispered to Nama.

"Shut up, Obi!" she roared back. "It's _**your**_ fault he's even in this mess to begin with!"

"Why are you yelling at him?" she asked, taking notice of Gamba, who was curled in a ball and sobbing hysterically.

She nuzzled him.

"There, there, Zira's got you, my love." she crooned, grooming the shaken boy.

"What the hell are you doing?" Vuta snarled. "He deliberately disobeys us, goes into the Pridelands and **nearly endangers the life of him and his friends and you're pacifying him like he's a damn pharaoh?**"

"This was a part of my plan all along." Zira responded. "I don't care if it's the last thing I do, but those Pridelands will be **mine**!"

"Give it up! You've tried it before and you've lost your whole pride and nearly your life as a result. You're willing to give that all up again?"

"I was stupid! I should've never trusted Kovu." Zira retorted. "Gamba would never betray me."

"How is he any different from Kovu?" the lion commented, triggering an angry glare from Zira.

"…So what do you have in mind?"

Zira peered down at the cub, who wasn't crying anymore but still very shaken.

"Gamba," she said, cuddling the cub.

"Y-yes, Zira?"

"You love me, right? And you'd never go against me, right?"

"Y-yes…"

"Come with me, boy…" she said with a convincing smile.

Gamba obliged and Vuta followed. They headed into the private cavern. Only Zira and Vuta slept there. Gamba wasn't even given the privilege to sleep with them. Though he didn't mind much. He preferred to sleep with Nama, Obi and the other hyenas, even if they were a bit crazy.

"Do you remember that lion you saw, boy?" Vuta asked.

Gamba nodded in response.

"Yes, that big, brown one, with that weird scar on his eye."

"Well, that was my son, Kovu…" Zira said. "Just calling him my son makes me want to retch. He doesn't deserve the title."

"You want to get out of this ramshackle place, don't you?" Zira asked tenderly.

'Y-yes, Zira."

"You want to be royalty, just like that cub you encountered at the waterhole, don't you?"

"Y-yes. I would like that a lot."

"Then you must listen to me, Gamba." Zira ordered. "I don't want you to betray me, like Kovu did. I don't want you to turn your back on me and leave me to die."

"I would never do that to you, Zira!" Gamba wept. "I-I love you. I love you like a mother. Probably the same love I'd give **my** mother…if she were still here with me."

"Your mother died after birthing you. She told me to take you in and give you the best I could. Gamba, if I didn't want the best for you, I would've let you die."

The cub was oblivious to her lies. She had no idea that Zira had murdered her mother and kidnapped him when she was done with her dirty work. He buried his face in her pelt and cried. Zira looked up at Vuta and smiled sinisterly.

"Then will you help us?" she asked the cub in a motherly voice while stroking his head.

"Yes, Zira."

"Good…" she chuckled. "Now retreat to the cave, little one. You have a lot of work to do."

Gamba looked back at her and smiled. He then scampered to the cave and fell asleep soon after.

"Soon, my love, you'll be a king!" Zira cackled. "But first..."

She saw several hyenas ready to head back to the caves.

"**You three!**" she shouted. "We're heading to the Pridelands."

"But what for, your majesty?" one of them inquired.

"I have to…shall I say…reunite with an old foe." she said with a soft but evil chuckle.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at the Pridelands, the hunting party had just arrived. Keisha and Zarina charged for their mother, who had greatly improved in her hunting skills since her first hunt.<p>

"Girls," Kiara purred, nuzzling each one lovingly. "Where's your father?"

"Patrolling…" the cubs said in unison. "When Grandpa comes back, he's gonna take us with him!"

"I don't know…" Kiara said unsurely. "It's very dark now."

"So what?"

"Patrolling can get very dangerous…especially during these hours. You never know what's out there."

"But he said we could!" Keisha whined.

"I'm sorry, but your grandfather can't be responsible for both of you at that time of night—especially you, Keisha. Why don't you play with the other cubs?"

"I never get to do anything!" the youngest princess moaned.

"Keisha!" Zarina called out, padding towards her sister, leaving a guilty Kiara all alone.

"Don't feel bad, Kiara." a voice said, surprising both mother and cub.

"Daddy?" she questioned.

"Grandpa!" Keisha cheered. "Tell Mom that it's **not** too late to take Zarina and I patrolling with you?"

"Hmm…I don't know, Keish."

"**Pleaseeeeeeee!**"

"I'm kind of in a rush. Plus, it's a little too dangerous for a little cub like you."

"But—."

"**Keisha, that's enough!**" Kiara scolded. "Now leave your grandfather alone and let him concentrate!"

Keisha said nothing but stormed away.

"I'm sorry, Daddy." the queen said with embarrassment.

"Don't be." the aging lion chuckled. "She's just a bit curious. When she's a bit older and stronger, she can come along as often as she wants."

"I suppose…I just don't want anything happening to her."

"She's a lot like you when **you** were a cub, and you turned out fine!"

Kiara giggled.

"Well, you have a point. Have you seen Kovu?"

"He should be home any moment now. I'll just grab my portion of the hunt and go. He says that there's a new threat and we should be more careful than usual."

"Well, be careful out there. I love you." Kiara said softly as she gave her father one last nuzzle before they parted.

Simba ate his meal and left Pride Rock, much to Keisha's dismay. She decided that when the coast was clear, she could escape and find Simba herself.

"**Then** he'll know I'm responsible enough!" she thought.

Fola and Jabari were asleep. Jelani was eating and Kiara was grooming Zarina. The other lionesses were too busy pre-occupied with the catch. She escaped from the back and headed to the borders to catch up with Simba.

"I'll show 'em who's tough!" she vowed.

* * *

><p><strong>This chapter was supposed to be longer, but I cut it in half. I'm not sure when the next update'll be to be honest. But it should be early-mid Novemberish. Haha. Anyway, have a great one! :)<strong>


	4. Chapter 4: Perilous Encounter

**Okay guys, you have every right to be mad at me. My smart self decided to unplug errr…a pretty important plug from my power strip and all the power in my room went out. Anywho, when I fixed the breaker, it fried my computer and I had to get it fixed. Which explains the EXTREMELY tardy update. Don't be mad guys. :) Pwease… xD **

**Thanks for the reviews. **

**Princess Aaliyah: I'm glad you like it! Thanks for reading! **

**BroadwayFanGirl91: Thanks! This isn't the first time it's happened. Gets a little annoying after awhile! XD I'm glad she stopped though. And as long as she isn't doing it again, we're cool people! Lol.**

**Ke-Ke Shan: Thanks for the review! And awesome site by the way! ^^**

**Commander Blueberry: Thank-you! :] **

**Thanks again, and here goes chapter 4!**

* * *

><p>~4~<p>

"You **lost** her?" the king growled angrily at his newly crowned majordomo. "What kind of babysitter are you?"

"I had no idea she left!" Nyoni insisted nervously. "S-she was very distraught about the fact she couldn't go patrolling with Simba and—."

Before the hornbill could even have her word, Kovu ran out of the cave and into the pitch-black darkness his daughter was probably walking through without a care.

"Kovu, where are you going?" his mate cried with worry.

"She's gonna kill her!" was all he said.

"Who?" the queen inquired hysterically. "**KOVU!**"

"Sire, do you need anything?" Nyoni asked.

"You've done enough!" Kovu shouted back. "**Now stay out of my way!**"

A guilty Nyoni looked down dejectedly, obviously disappointed with herself.

"Don't listen to him, Nyoni." she assured.

"What kind of majordomo am I?" Nyoni said on the verge of tears. "I can't do anything right! Father would be so embarrassed if he knew how bad I tarnished his legacy."

Without another word, the royal advisor departed and headed back to a quaint little nest she'd built in a tree a few minutes away. The golden queen just sighed to herself, as talking to her would do nothing but make her feel even guiltier. The sound of her eldest daughter's squeaky voice brought her back into the den. She cuddled the youngster and lulled her to sleep.

"Is Keisha gonna be okay, Mommy?" Zarina asked.

"She'll be alright." the queen assured. "She's a strong girl—both of you are."

"I hope so…"

And suddenly, not a word was spoken. Mother and daughter both lay there, concerned about the welfare of the pride's youngest member. The silence gave the princess an opportunity to remember the heinous crimes Vuta vowed to commit once he was able to claim the throne.

…_Once the time is right, Zira and I will kill you…I'll get you and your little rats too…_

"Mommy, who's Zira?" the golden cub asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Z-Zira?" Kiara stammered in shock. "Why do you want to know, dear?"

"Because this lion named Vuta said that he's gonna kill all of us…him and Zira."

"_That's nonsense!_" the queen thought. "_Zira's dead! She can't be alive. She fell off a ledge into raging waters. For God's sakes. She can't be alive! __**She just can't be!**_"

"Nobody will hurt you, dear." Kiara said, masking her uncertainty with her sweet, motherly voice. "You nor Keisha. Nobody…"

Zarina looked up at her, her eyes moist with unshed tears. She clutched onto her mother and held her tight.

"I love you, Mommy."

"I love you too, Sweetie."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, nothing in the Pridelands could be heard but a frantic father's plea's for his daughter's safe return.<p>

"Keisha!" he roared, bringing life to the deathly quiet lands. "Keisha! If you hear me, please follow my voice!"

His heartbeat intensified with each second. Anything was possible. For all he knew, she could be having the time of her life. Or she could've been snatched by the enemy and murdered in cold blood.

"**Keisha!**"

His throat grew sore from his cries. He hung his head and fastened his eyes on his paws, trying not to be so negative. He sighed deeply and galloped towards the borders.

Meanwhile, the princess was trying to pull herself on top of an uprooted tree that was in her way. After numerous failed attempts, she landed not so gracefully onto the mossy terrain below her. Her paws sunk into the damp grounds. She ambled through the muck, heading towards the borders. While walking, she spotted a pair of rhinos who were conversing. She hid behind a tree and eavesdropped on their discussion.

"Did you hear?" the first one said.

"Yeah! Zira and her goons are back." the second one scoffed. "You'd think she'd learn her lesson by now."

"It's like that poor girl never gives up."

"She's a nutjob. I wouldn't take her seriously."

The rhinos laughed before they marched back to the rest of the herd and left. Keisha was about to continue her journey when she heard a loud roar—one that sounded just like her grandfather's.

"Grandpa!" she shouted with zeal as she followed the voice.

She headed north and hid behind a rock. She saw the shadow of a burly lion. Her smile widened. She knew the shadow belonged to Simba.

"I can't wait to tell him how brave I am!" she whispered to herself.

As soon as she prepared to leap out of her hiding place and surprise, she heard the lion roar again. This time—in pain. She peered over the rock and saw her grandfather motionless on the ground and a trio of hyenas cackling like maniacs. Their muzzles and razor sharp teeth were stained in his royal blood. The majestic golden fur and thick auburn mane that king sported for more than two generations, was soaked in crimson. His breaths grew labored and his chest heaved in effort. On a boulder, a lioness towered above the scene, giving orders to the hyenas.

_**Bite him!**_

_**Scratch him!**_

_**Take out an eye!**_

"Grandpa!" the sand furred princess wept.

"Keisha…" he coughed. "Keisha! Go home!"

"**I'm not leaving you!**"

"Get help! **Hurry!**"

The princess found herself stuck in a dilemma. If she didn't do anything, Simba would surely die. But if she went to get help, the hyenas would find her and end her life then and there. She took a deep breath and ran away quickly. One of the hyenas detected the cub running away.

"GET HER!" Zira ordered.

She leapt from the boulder and circled the former king with an evil smirk.

"I'll finish him off." she cackled as the king sputtered blood.

The other hyenas ran after the frightened cub and trapped her in a circle.

"Well, well, well…" the first hyena said. "What do we have here?

"Hmm, it looks like someone's a little lost." the second hyena said as she licked her lips.

"Do you know what we do to little cubs that lost their way?" the third one teased.

"I-I don't want to have to hurt you guys!" Keisha said, trying to be brave.

Her threats made the hyenas laugh. They bore their teeth at her, licking their lips hungrily.

"No one's here to help you, kid. So you shouldn't waste your time screaming."

Keisha looked both ways, only to find she was surrounded. She didn't know what else to do. She crawled underneath one of the hyenas and ran away.

"**HEY, GET BACK HERE!**" she cried.

The three hyenas ran off, hoping to pursue the young lion cub. Keisha was only half a mile away from Pride Rock. She paused, taking labored breaths. The exhausted cub felt she'd ran through all of Africa. Her chest burned and her vision grew disoriented. She perked her head back up and saw the hyenas coming towards her. Determined to save the life of her and Simba, she got back up and ran the half mile as quick as she could.

"_**SOMEONE HELP PLEASE!**_" Keisha cried out on the top of her lungs.

"Keisha! **Keisha!** Is that you?" a familiar motherly voice called from the rock.

The hyenas stopped dead in their tracks. Fearing the queen's retaliation, they scampered back to the lands and left the startled cub alone in the dark. Now all by herself, she ran towards the rock and met her mother, who snuggled her. Her father appeared soon after.

"Where were you?" the frightened father retorted. "**We were worried sick!**"

"Daddy, please!" Keisha groaned in annoyance. "Grandpa's in trouble! And he needs our help—**and fast**!"

"_**Simba?**_"

"Daddy!" Kiara said silently, a hint of denial in her tone.

"Please!" Keisha said on the verge of tears. "They beat him up badly. Three hyenas and a lioness with this mark on her head."

"_No…it can't be…_" Kiara thought. "_Oh Great Kings—she is alive…__**and she's already taken down my father.**_"

"—And he was bloody and torn. And…and…if we don't get any help, he'll die for sure." continued the traumatized princess, tears rolling down her face.

"We gotta get out there—**NOW!**" Kovu ordered. "Kiara, you rally half the pride and I'll take the other half."

"Kandi, you stay here and watch the cubs." Kiara said.

"Yes, you're majesty." Kandi complied, gathering the three youngest cubs and bringing them to her own.

"Vitani, you go and fetch Rafiki."

"Yes, you're majesty." Vitani replied.

Jelani came forth to give her one last nuzzle before she left.

"Be careful, Mom…" the frightened cub said before mother and son broke away.

"Don't be afraid, Jelani." Vitani said assuringly. "Simba will be alright."

She darted out of the den, along with the other lions who were participating in the search party.

"Keisha are you alright?" Kandi asked, running a paw against her head, which sweltered.

Keisha only responded with a soft groan. Her face was stained with tears and sweat.

"Keisha…**Keisha?**"

"Mimi nina uchovu, Kandi. _**Uchovu**_."

_I'm so tired, Kandi. So tired… _

The last thing Keisha heard before she fainted was the shrill scream of her older sister. And then…nothing.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, here it is. I'm SO SO SO SOOSOSOSSOOOO sorry for the tardy update. Don't kill me guys… :D<strong>


	5. Chapter 5: Death of a King

**Hi guys! I had mid-winter recess this whole week and planned to work on both these stories over the break. But I wound up doing my homework and going out to the city instead. And then my Sony Vegas stopped working so I was busy looking up how to get it back up and running again. I'm sorry I neglected you guys. I know you've probably been waiting awhile for the updates. My apologies. :( Anyway, I might update NG in a few days. But here's SR for now. :)**

**And thanks to all my reviewers. And I'd like to welcome back Kovu 01. Your fanfiction with Nama was actually the first one I've read when I found out about this site, and you inspired me to write one of my own! Great to see you again! :) Well, here's chapter 5!**

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><p>~5~<p>

_Keisha woke up several hours later in a daze. She recollected herself and crept towards the circle of lions that crowded around the shaman as he continued to do his work on her mangled grandfather. She squeezed through tight crevices and eventually got to the center of the crowd. Her grandfather's breaths sounded ragged and labored. She could hear her mother outside bawling and her father out there consoling her. _

"_There's notheeng more I can do." Rafiki crooned, removing his leathery hands from his mane. His palm was drenched in the royal blood of the former king. "De king is gone." _

"_No…__**NOOO!**__" Keisha bellowed, pouncing on her grandfather's lifeless corpse, hoping for a slight hint of life. "Please, don't die! Please!" _

"_It's too late!" a female voice uttered so eerily that the whole den grew deathly silent. "And it's __**your **__fault!" _

"_No, Mommy, I didn't mean it!" the princess said as giant tears poured down her face._

"_You killed your own grandfather!"_

"_**NO I DIDN'T! **__If I wanted him dead, I would've left him there to die!" _

"_But you did leave him! You only cared about yourself and for that, Simba's life was taken from him!" her father interjected coldly. _

"_Murderer…" Zarina crooned, her voice monotone and lacking emotion. _

_She marched uniformly towards her sister, who backed away into the far back of the den, trying to escape the angry scowls of her former friends. Jelani leapt behind her. Nyoni was perched onto his shoulder. _

"_Murderer…" they both said, with an evil smirk. _

"_Simba's dead because of you, you little brat!" _

"_**SHUT UP!**__" Keisha shouted, clawing Jelani and escaping from the cave. _

_The emotionless lions just marched after her. Their faces were blank, but their mouths were parched and longed for the princess's blood. The lands were barren and dead. She found brief solace in a tree. She was panting heavily, struggling to get a good breath of air. Her heart was beating erratically out of both fear and exhaustion._

"_Hello there, Keisha…" _

_She turned back immediately and saw the same cub from earlier. She quivered in fear, trying to back away as far as she could. _

"_H-how do you know my name?" _

"_Doesn't matter, princess. Prepare to die!" _

_A shrill cry of pain escaped her lips. _

* * *

><p>"—<strong>AAAAAH!<strong>"

She shot up. Zarina, who rested above her shaking sister flew back and skidded to the cave's walls.

"What's wrong with _**you**_?" she snapped. "You could've killed me!"

"I had this horrible nightmare!" the tawny princess said uneasily. "That Grandpa died and all of you were after me."

Zarina's face softened.

"Well actually, Rafiki came earlier and he said that Grandpa might not survive." she added solemnly.

"_Kubwa__wafalme_, this is all my fault!" Keisha wept. "I'm so stupid!"

"Don't say that…" said the golden cub, wrapping an arm around her desolate twin. "You're just a cub, you couldn't do anything about it."

Keisha fought her way out of Zarina's grip and walked outside, where Rafiki was attempting to save the king, and a group of spectators watched. Rafiki was out there for a while. He seemed frustrated but determined to save him. But his efforts came to no avail. His leathery finger wiped away a quick tear and he bowed his head in sorrow.

"Deez nothing more I can do." he sniffed. "De mightee king of the Pridelands iz dead."

_Dead._

That word played repeatedly in Keisha's head. Kiara as well as several of the other lionesses tried to hold back their tears. But they slid down their cheeks one by one, until they started pouring down uncontrollably. Overtaken by guilt, Keisha darted from the scene, tears streaming down her face. Kovu immediately tried to catch up with his grieving daughter.

* * *

><p>After what seemed like hours of endless sobbing, Keisha noticed that rain began to pour harder this time, glossing her fur and straightening her tuft, which brought it over her eyes. She wiped the tears away and whimpered a little still thinking about what happened.<p>

"You okay, kiddo?"

The princess turned back, and noticed her father coming up towards her.

"Oh Daddy, this is all my fault." she responded, tears still trailing down her cheeks. "If I've never left that stupid cave, none of this would've happened."

"Keisha, if you hadn't left the cave, we probably would've never known that your grandfather was attacked by those ruthless hyenas until much later." Kovu assured, giving her a lick. "You're still a hero in a way."

"I am…?" Keisha asked bashfully. "You're just saying that!"

"Nope. I'm sure you'll be the bravest lioness in our pride, in a few years from now."

The corners of the cub's muzzle curled into a meager smile.

"Let's get out of this rain, what do you say?"

"Oh…alright."

Father and daughter walked back to the den, where the other Pridelanders were still mourning the loss of their king.

"Good night." Keisha said, flashing a quick smile to her father before carefully darting towards her usual sleeping spot next to Zarina.

Kovu smiled back at her and rooted himself next to his mate. Her fur was stained in the tears she cried for her father. He licked her cheek gently and fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at Zira and Vuta's 'pride', the hyenas were just coming back, gloating about their dirty work.<p>

"Did you see how I pummeled that lion!" one of the hyenas said.

"Yeah!" the second hyena spat. "Some king he was."

"Serves him right for all the crap he put us through after he came back." the third one said.

"Let's get out of here, my paws are killing me."

"I know! My body's aching all over!"

"Oh please, we've only fulfilled part one of our retaliation." Zira scoffed. "We've got a lot more in store for those snobbish traitors before we can even think about resting!"

Her eyes narrowed evilly.

"It's about time we took out one of those little brats as well. We'll strike tomorrow morning."

* * *

><p>"<em>Daddy!" Keisha cried. "We've been trying to wake you up foreverrr!"<em>

"_Yeah, aren't we patrolling today?" Zarina asked with enthusiasm. _

_Kovu woke up to find everyone still sleeping except for his two daughters. _

"_Keisha, what time is it?" _

"_The sun's about to rise." _

"_Keisha, it's still early. Go back to sleep." _

"_But Daddy! You promised to take me and Zarina to the borders to patrol!" _

"_Keisha—." _

"_**DADDY! YOU PROMISED! YOU SAID WE SHOULD NEVER BREAK PROMISES!**__"_

_Kovu looked at how impatient the twins were and finally gave in. _

"_Alright let's go girls." he said wearily. _

"_Thanks Daddy." the princesses replied in perfect unison. _

_She ran outside eagerly leaping and jumping like a playful puppy. _

"_I can't wait Daddy, I can't wai—oof!" _

_Before Keisha could finish her sentence, she slipped and fell into a small hole. _

"_Keisha!" Kovu said in worry._

_"Let's go Daddy, let's go!" Keisha's voice echoed. _

_She grunted, trying to get her head out of the hole. _

"_Keisha, don't strain yourself. You can't get outta there by yourself." Kovu said as he pulled Keisha by her tail. _

_Keisha plopped out and spit a mouthful of grass out of her mouth, groaning in disgust. _

"_That was…FUN!" she exclaimed. _

"_That was close." Kovu mocked. "Now are you hurt?" _

"_No…" Keisha said flatly. _

"_Are you dizzy?" _

"_No…" _

"_Any blood rushing to your head?"_

"_No Daddy!" _

"_Do you feel heavy breathing, nauseous, anything?"_

_Keisha rolled her eyes and walked away. Zarina followed soon after. _

"_Daddy, stop worrying. We're fine." _

_With that, Keisha and Zarina ran off, to the Prideland's borders. Keisha leapt on top of a rock and inhaled deeply and looked eagerly off at the horizon. She opened her eyes when she found diminutive black dots coming towards the Pridelands. She heard laughing and cackling. _

"_Wow!" Keisha cried. "Those look like..."_

_Suddenly, something crept behind her. _

"_**BOO!**__" three voices cried. _

_Keisha shrieked for the hyenas have come back for her. Their paws were wrapped around Zarina's mouth. Her cries for help were hindered by the hyena's strengthening hold._

"_Oh no!" Keisha whimpered in fear._

_She leapt away and tried to find her father but she couldn't find him. Kovu tried to find Keisha himself. But he couldn't find her either. He looked all over for his daughters and suddenly, two trees feel and sparked a fire. Keisha spotted the fire and ran away to safety, only to be surrounded by more hyenas._

"_Daddy!" she cried. _

"_Here kitty, kitty, kitty." one of the hyenas said severely. _

"_Leave me and my sister alone!" Keisha hollered. _

"_Of you don't have to worry about her. We have her stowed away." the female hyena said. "Besides, hyenas gotta eat to!" _

_Keisha scampered off. The ground underneath her seemed to grow thinner and suddenly, she fell through. She soon fell in an underground tunnel. Keisha perked her ears and raised her eyebrow in suspicion. She walked through, looking at the underground cavern. She heard breathing behind her and looked back. _

_No sound._

_She continued on her way, starting to increase her pace. She stopped and took a deep sigh. She closed her eyes and continued to walk. Suddenly, she realized a black shadow had cast over her. She looked back and saw Vuta and Zira. Her unconscious sister was dangling in Zira's mouth. She screamed and ran off, but Vuta already had her by the tail. He fiercely attacked the cub as she begged that someone would help her. _

"_Shut up or I'll really kill you!" Vuta cried. _

"_Spare her Vuta." a familiar voice said._

_Keisha sighed with relief. Vuta stopped his brutal attack. _

"_For now…" the voice continued_

_He hurled Keisha into the corner where several hyenas came up to her, licking their lips and opening their mouths, cackling evilly. _

"_**DADDY!**__"_

* * *

><p>"Keisha!"<p>

Kovu jumped up in an instant. He found his daughters circling him, between them, Nyoni had finally returned.

"I know you probably don't want to see me right now and I'm sorry for disturbing you, but the memorial for Simba is about to begin."

"Oh…right. Thank you, Nyoni."

Nyoni nodded, still a bit depressed after the incident. She took off, Zarina going after her.

"Are you okay?" Keisha asked quizzically. "You look horrible!"

"It's alright, I'll meet you out there." Kovu insisted, shooing his daughter towards the ceremony.

The princess shrugged it off but still had a hint of worry in her tone.

"_**Zarina, wait up!**_"

Kovu looked at his daughter turn out of the den and bound towards the lionesses. He took a deep, sigh. He was deeply concerned about the welfare of his pride with this new threat. He was lost, but this time, the king wasn't here to help him.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, here it is. Chapter 6. School's been giving me lots of trouble so I updated during Spring Break. Thanks for all your reviews guys, and stay tuned for the next chapter!<strong>


	6. Chapter 6: More Tragedy

**Well after a long wait, here's chapter 6. Sorry for the wait. But I had some trouble with one of my classes that I had to settle. Everything's good now (I hope :P). Anyway, thanks for the review, comicfan209. Thanks for reading! It means so much to me! :D **

* * *

><p>~6~<p>

"It's not fair. He promised to take us!" she cried.

"But he's our father and we have to listen to him." Zarina snapped.

"Well I'm not a baby anymore!" the youngest princess retorted. "I'm grown and I can go on my own patrolling!"

"Keisha! _**Don't!**_"

"I can go patrolling by myself and I will!"

Fola and Jabari awoke from their slumber, slightly annoyed. They looked at Keisha and Zarina bickering.

"**Now who's with me!**" Keisha asked.

Fola and Jabari rolled their eyes and went back to sleep. Keisha just growled angrily and turned away, ready to leave Pride Rock.

"Fine!" she hissed. "You all can stay here and sleep as _**loooooonnnnngggg**_ as you want. Haha! Sayonara…_**housecats**_!"

She stormed off, saying something under her breath. Moments later, she was outside, trotting to the Pridelands' borders by herself. The majority of the pride were huddled in the back of the rock, burying the former king. After a moment of aimless walking, she finally reached the Outlands. She looked around in awe as she saw the dull appearance of the Outlands. Overwhelmed with curiosity and innocence, she preceded to linger deeper into the forgotten lands. Then, out of nowhere, a lion cub loomed out of the wafting mist. He approached Keisha and looked at her. She immediately remembered the lion cub. _Gamba!_

"Hey, it's you…" Keisha said. "I mean…**HEY, IT'S YOU!**"

She crouched into attack mode, baring her teeth.

"Look," Gamba said with a hint of sarcastic fear in his voice. "I don't wanna cause any trouble."

"Then what _**do**_ you want?"

"I just wanted to say…I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for the mess me and the hyenas caused."

Keisha was surprised.

"Apology accepted?" she said, unaware of what to say next. "Thanks for apologizing."

"You're welcome." Gamba said as he began to stammer a little. "So…uh…what's your name?"

"Keisha…" the princess said with a smile, opening up a little more.

"I'm Gamba…"

Silence.

"Wanna…**fight?**" Keisha asked as she crouched playfully, snapping at Gamba's feet.

"Uhh…sure!" the smiling cub replied, now crouching as well, playfully growling at his opponent. "But don't try too hard, Princess. I don't want you to get hurt again."

"Psssh. You just hit me when I wasn't ready." Keisha scoffed playfully.

She looked him in the eye, but she saw that he looked uneasy and began to look around.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"It doesn't feel right here." Gamba insisted. "Follow me, I'll take us someone safer."

Keisha began to feel ill at ease. The further she stepped away from the borders, the more intense that feeling in the pit of her stomach became. After walking, Gamba came to a sudden stop. The area around them was vast and empty. The lands were dead and the sky was a deathly gray.

"This doesn't look a whole lot safer, Gamba." Keisha scoffed. "I think we're too far from home. Can't we just go back a little?"

Gamba held onto Keisha's paw.

"No, we'll be fine—I promise."

"Did you hear what I said—**I wanna go home!**"

Suddenly, two loud roars were heard and two large lions jumped out in front of the two cubs.

"Well, look what we have here…" Zira said ruthlessly.

"It looks like Princess Keisha." Vuta said as he snapped at the princess.

Keisha backed away fearfully and unsure of what will happen next. Keisha growled at the lions and extracted her claws, trying to seem unfazed. Suddenly, Zira lunged at the lion and held her by her throat. Keisha grunted, trying to wriggle her way out of grandma's grip.

"Oh don't be afraid," Zira said. "Grandma will keep you safe…"

She gawked at the cub with evil red eyes. Suddenly, three hyenas appeared and bared their teeth at the cub.

"—or not." Zira said with an amused chuckle as she plopped the cub in front of the hungry dogs.

"Lunchtime boys!" the first one said said.

"Now this is what I call a royal banquet!" the second one added as he licked his lips.

The third one snarled ruthlessly and scampered after the first two.

"You should probably close your eyes, kid. This'll get a little bloody." he advised Gamba, who shared a laugh with the hyena.

"Well done Gamba. You lured that brat right into our little trap." Vuta said. "You'll make a fine king one day."

"**You lied to me?**" Keisha growled.

"Puh! Did you really think I'd want to be friends with _you_!" Gamba cackled. "Dream on!"

He turned away smugly, as Keisha just watched him walk away. She didn't see the unsure grimace the cub made once he was out of view. In a way, he sort of felt sorry for that stupid girl. Her innocence and naïve mentality would ultimately cause her death.

"Tell us your name!" Zira spat.

"Keisha…"

"Princess Keisha…what a beautiful name. Too bad we have to kill you now."

She had to find a way to get out! She tried once again to writhe out of Zira's grip, but it was once again unsuccessful. With that, the scared lion cub began to weep, keeping her eyes covered with her paws.

"Aww," Vuta said sarcastically. "We made the poor cub cry…"

The two lions cackled at Keisha's suffer. Her head felt like it was about to explode. In anger, she slowly extracted her claws and scratched Zira on her eyes, giving her four red gashes on her eye and on the upper part of her right cheek. Zira howled in pain and dropped Keisha. She scampered away successfully. However, Vuta was hot on her trail.

"Come back here you brat!" Vuta snarled.

Keisha panted from exhaustion and looked back to find Vuta. She felt like collapsing right there on the spot. But she knew if Vuta got her, she was going to die. She climbed into a tree and leapt onto the sturdy branches, hoping to break away from Vuta's fury. Vuta took a large leap into the tree, climbing up, taking large steps. She knew this was it. Meanwhile, the lions found out Keisha went missing, so they searched for the missing lion cub. Nyoni soared in the skies above, hoping to get a glimpse of the princess.

"Keisha!" Zarina cried.

"Keisha!" Jelani cried. "Get your runaway butt back here!"

He and Zarina ran off ahead to Jabari and Fola as they searched for the lion cub. Suddenly, they saw the cub along with Vuta.

"MOM!" Zarina cried.

"Aunty Kiara, she's up there in that tree." Jelani added. "That big lion's going after her!"

The pride gazed into the tree. The cubs indeed found Keisha. They also found Vuta trying to pursue the little cub. Kiara and Nala looked in horror to see that the lion was hot on her trail.

"Keisha!" Nala cried. "Don't look back…"

"Mommy!" Keisha cried. "I'm scared."

Suddenly, Zira jumped in front of the tiny lion cub.

"Not so fast," she hissed. "Where do you think _you're_ going?"

"Zira?" several lionesses said with horror.

"**JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!**" Keisha sobbed. "I don't wanna have anything to do with you!"

Keisha said this as the soft drizzle began to turn into a fierce storm. Thunder began to shake the ground. Lightning began to stab its way into the ground, right in front of the Pridelanders. The lightning's force resulted in the fallen trees to spark. Fire spread through the area. The Pridelanders ran away.

"Keisha, don't be afraid!" Kiara insisted. "We'll find a way!"

She gathered Jelani and Zarina and insisted that they head to safety. Zira and Vuta chuckled sinisterly.

"You're all alone," Zira spat. "_**PRINCESS!**_"

Keisha frantically looked left and right, hoping for help. She hoped this was just a nightmare, so she tried to wake herself up. This couldn't be real, this is just a nightmare. I'm sure my Daddy will wake me up. _**PLEASE, IT'S JUST A DREAM. PLEASE WAKE ME UP. I DON'T LIKE THIS DREAM!**_ Keisha heard hysterical laughter below, looking down at the hungry hyenas awaiting for the cub to fall down from the tree below and into their mouths. Zarina and Jelani were taking refuge in a tangle of shrubs.

"_I __**HAVE **__to do something!_" thought the golden furred princess.

She abandoned her safe house and went to save her sister.

"Zarina!" Jelani cried cried. "No!"

"Don't worry!" Zarina hollered. "I'm gonna get Keisha!"

"**ZARINA NO! IT'S TOO DANGEROUS!**" Jelani yelled.

Unfortunately, Zarina was too far to hear her cousin's final plea. Just at that time, Kiara came to check on the cubs.

"W-where's Zarina…?" she asked with a hint of worry.

"She went to save Keisha. Help her before it's too late, Aunty Kiara." Jelani wept. "I'm sorry. I tried to stop her. I really did!"

Kiara began to form sad tears in her eyes, thinking about Zarina. She tried to go back. But the heat was intense. The flames were too much. The smoke made it almost impossible for her to see and breathe properly.

"_It's alright…maybe Kovu will save her before she gets hurt._"

Unfortunately, Kovu was far away from the sight. He was at the Prideland Borders, still patrolling. He then stopped for a moment. The smell of smoke slithered up his nose. He looked back at Pride Rock and saw the fire, the smoke, the hyenas—everything.

"No…" he said to himself. "**NO!**"

He leapt away to the scene. Meanwhile, at the tree, Zira held Keisha by the neck, strangling the young cub.

"Why are you doing this?" Keisha whispered.

The smoke in the air plus Zira's grip caused her voice to be faint and barely audible.

"Keisha," Zira said teasingly. "Don't you realize that being Queen of the Pridelands is an honor?"

"It's to _die _for!" Vuta hissed behind her, extracting his own claws.

Keisha began to thrash around in Zira's hold.

"_WHY DO THEY WANT ME? I'M NOT EVEN GONNA BE QUEEN!_" she thought to herself.

"But I'm not even gonna _be_ the queen. I'm the youngest." Keisha blurted out without thinking. She was at her last whim, hoping Zira would show her some mercy.

"What's this?" inquired Zira as she loosened the grip on the cub's throat. "You're the younger sister?"

"Yeah," Keisha said.

"So we should go after _the big one_, right?" Vuta asked.

"Wait…**NO!**" Keisha wept after she realized what she just said. "Please don't!"

"You're free to go rat!" Zira said as she dropped the cub to the hyenas below.

Suddenly…

"**HOLD ON KEISHA! I'M COMING!**"

"Zarina, no!" Keisha cried. "You have to leave! **They're after you!** And it's all my fault. I'm so sorry!"

"Huh?" Zarina questioned as she caught a glimpse of the older lions.

Zira and Vuta lost interest in the hanging cub and walked over to Zarina. She scoffed at the two, somewhat unfazed by the two lions' fury.

"Well," Zira said. "Future Queen. Prepare to die!"

With that, Zira tried to grab the cub but she slipped away, running out of the tree. The two lions came darting after her. The two completely ignored Keisha, who struggled to hold on for dear life. She slowly slipped off of the branch, falling about twenty feet down. Suddenly, a large lion grabbed the young cub by his mouth and kept her out of harm's way.

"Daddy!" Keisha cried as she nuzzled her father.

"Keisha," he said sympathetically as he held his daughter close to him. "Where's Zarina?"

"You have to help her!" Keisha cried. "Vuta and Zira are after her! They'll kill her if you don't save her in time!"

Kovu grabbed Keisha by the nape of her neck and ran off to find his second daughter. Meanwhile, Zira and Vuta were crossing the Pridelands Borders, looking for a good place to do away with the princess. Zarina was secured in Zira's mouth by her mid-section.

"W-Where are we going?" the cub stammered in fear.

"Somewhere special my Princess." Vuta replied as he walked next to Zira.

"P-Please don't hurt me. I just wanna go home!"

At this point, Zarina was shaking and crying. All she wanted to do right now was be home with her parents, and Keisha and the others.

"I'm afraid we can't let you do that…" Zira snarled.

"Please!" Zarina cried. "Leave me alone!"

Suddenly, the two stopped and dropped the onto a warm moss floor. She looked up in fright as she saw Vuta and Zira glaring at her evilly. Vuta extracted his claws, clawing them on a tree first. Then, he slashed the cub in her eyes. She wailed in pain. She could only hear the evil snickering of Vuta and the hyenas making a circle around her.

"Finish her…" Zira ordered quietly but severely.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, miles away, Kovu and Keisha's search for Zarina turned up unsuccessful.<p>

"Daddy," Keisha whimpered. "Where's Zarina?"

"I don't know Keisha…" Kovu said, trying to keep his hopes up.

"Are you mad at me, Daddy? This whole thing is all my fault."

"Of course not," the king insisted, wiping Keisha's tears away. "I will always love you, no matter what happens."

Father and daughter both heard snickering in the distance. Kovu placed the shaking cub in a nearby bush to keep her safe, away from the danger that approached.

"Stay here Keisha…" he ordered as he licked his daughter one last time.

"Daddy, I'm scared." she wept. "What if you never come back?"

"Don't worry Keisha," Kovu said, calming down his anxious daughter. "I promise I'll be back. I'd never leave you."

"Promise?"

"Promise…"

Keisha looked as Kovu ran ahead, ready to fight. Keisha tearfully peered through the bushes, keeping eyes on her father until he was just a mere speck in the horizon. Meanwhile, Kovu looked around for the hyenas. It was pouring by now. He tried to spot them and attack when suddenly, something caught his attention. he was horrified to see a slim golden paw jutting from the ground just in front of him. He pulled it out to find Zarina's lifeless body. Her face was still wet from shed tears.

"No!" he cried. "**Zarina, no! Don't leave me, kiddo—not yet!**"

But there was no hope. Zarina was long dead and the hyenas disposed of her when they finished their ghastly deed. He nuzzled his daughter one last time, as tears started to stream down his own face. How could they do this to his little girl? As he mourned the loss, hyenas loomed in front of Kovu. The one in the middle still had his muzzle stained in the princess's blood. A furious Kovu snarled at them, ready to kill.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY DAUGHTER?" he roared.

The hyenas crept closer to Kovu. In a heartbeat, they all leapt onto him, biting him. He roared as one bit into his shoulder blade and another into his hind leg. Kovu was too weak to fight back. There were just too many of them.

"**Enough!**" a loud voice ordered suddenly.

The hyenas obeyed and rose. Kovu swatted the remainder away and looked up. Zira and Vuta appeared in front of him.

"**WHY DID YOU DO THIS?**" he asked sinisterly.

"We feel so _horrible_ about killing Princess Zarina." Vuta insisted, despite the evident sarcasm in his tone. "It's too bad we have to kill you and Keisha as well."

"**Touch my daughter and it'll be the last thing you do!**" Kovu roared ferociously.

Vuta and Kovu circled each other, glaring menacingly. Zira served as a spectator, chuckling to herself. Kovu suddenly attacked and he and Vuta fell down a nearby slope. They came to a stop at the edge of the embankment. The _same_ embankment where Zira fell to her 'death'.

"Seems familiar, Kovu?" Zira snarled. "This is where you and those other fools betrayed me. Left me for dead!"

Kovu could do nothing but snarl at her. Vuta, who was bigger and stronger, had him pinned underneath him, his mighty paw pressing down against his throat.

"_Give up, Kovu…_" Vuta hissed.

"Never!" Kovu said faintly.

He took his free paw and slapped Vuta to the ground. As he tried to escape, Vuta grabbed onto Kovu, trying to throw him into the embankment. Kovu pushed himself away but Vuta regained his strength and pushed Kovu off, making him plunge into the water below. Vuta looked off into the strong river for a minute before walking away. Zira greeted him with a nuzzle.

"He's dead…" he said to her.

"Perfect…!" Zira said sinisterly.

The two walked back to Pride Rock delighted that their plan had worked. Meanwhile, Keisha, who was still in the bush anxiously waited for Kovu. She occasionally peeped out the shrubs to see if he'd come back. Nothing. He never returned that night, or the next morning. She cried even more. She was angry that her father broke his promise. But she was mad that her carelessness caused three deaths in so little time. She sadly walked back home in the rain. When she arrived, her mother embraced her happily.

"I thought I lost you!" Kiara cried. "I'll never let go of you again."

When she let go of her daughter, she saw that she was crying.

"What's wrong Keisha?" she asked.

"D-Daddy and Zarina are dead!" Keisha cried tearfully.

"What?" Kiara said angrily as she held her daughter close.

"It's all my fault, Mommy. You must hate me now." Keisha said between sobs.

"No, that's not true…" Kiara insisted, stroking her daughter tenderly.

She could feel her own tears coming on and the two cried together. As they shared their remorse, Vuta and Zira walked in.

"Well, looks like that brat survived after all." Zira scoffed.

Kiara set Keisha down and glared at her.

"You killed my daughter and mate!" she roared, causing the rest of the pride to look on. "I have every mind to—."

"Temper, Kiara." Vuta insisted. "You shouldn't talk to your new king and queen that way."

"What are you talking about?"

"With Kovu dead, we're taking over Pride Rock."

"Get out—**NOW**!" Kiara ordered sharply.

"You wouldn't want to put your family and friends in danger, would you, Kiara?" Vuta questioned as he eyed Keisha, who peered behind her mother's hind leg.

Kiara took his words into consideration. She'd already lost her father, husband, and daughter—she couldn't go through anymore grief.

"Fine…" she said grudgingly.

Gamba looked from outside, unsure of how to feel. He began to regret taking part in this plan. Nama and Obi climbed up Pride Rock, approaching the cub.

"Well, whaddayaknow?" Nama laughed. "Our Gamby boy's a prince!"

"You hear that, Gamba?" Obi added with enthusiasm. "You're gonna be a king! Who knew, a little orphan boy's gonna be a king when he's all grown up!"

They headed into the den.

"Make sure to give your bestest best friends all the antelope they can eat." Obi added jokingly.

"Remember, I like the ones with the think juicy legs." added Nama, which triggered a laugh from Obi.

Gamba just smirked meagerly before he looked away.

"_This is gonna get bad,_" he thought to himself. "_Real bad…_"

* * *

><p><strong>Here's Chapter 6. I honestly feel bad for the deaths. I was thinking of making Zarina actually survive the ordeal and being adopted by some humans who nursed her back to health up until adulthood. But the ending would be completely different and there'd be way too many loopholes and then Sweet Revenge would take even longer to finish. :P I might make a "what-if?" story if I'm up to it but it's hard enough juggling SR and NG at the same time. Imagine three of them! But this isn't the last you'll be hearing of Princess Zarina, so don't even fret! :) <strong>

**I'm sorry if it was still pretty graphic. I took out some of the really graphic stuff that was in the earlier edition. I got A LOT of sh*t for it when I first posted it. And I don't blame you guys tbh. I kinda shuddered reading it over. Anyway, don't forget to review!**


	7. Chapter 7: The Horus Pride

**Hey guys! I made sure to post chapter 7 up quicker than usual. New Generation's still gonna take a while to come out, but don't fret. Once regents and finals are done, I'll be ready to update!**

**PS: I'm also making book covers for my stories. Anyone's who reading this, feel free to give me any ideas you're willing to throw out there. For now, I'm just using some pictures I drew of my characters prior to the site's update. But I want to make a legit cover! So don't be shy! :) I won't bite or anything. xD **

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><p>~7~<p>

A week had passed since that fateful morning. A search party went out to find Zarina and give her to proper burial she deserved. Nothing of Kovu was found and the party feared that going too far beyond the borders could spell trouble. The journey back home was a long and emotional one. Kiara couldn't bear to lay eyes on her daughter. She stayed in the cave and refused to acknowledge anyone. Their condolences and sorrow-filled words meant nothing to her. Nothing could ever heal the wounds those two caused that night. Their words wouldn't magically bring back her husband and daughter. She held her remaining daughter close to her and refused to let her go out of sight.

" My, Kovu was a mighty king." Nyoni started solemnly. "It's too bad we couldn't see much of him. But for the very brief time I've spent as his advisor, he's been so generous and understanding—especially when my own father passed a while ago. And Zarina…well where could I start? She was so bright, bubbly, so—full of life. She was a sweet little cub. So obedient and responsible. It's tragic that her life had to be taken like this, and so soon. It really is."

She could begin to feel the tears fighting their way through. She stopped and slowly ambled out of the way, making way for the next speaker. A sandy-furred and tawny-furred cub walking to the stand in front of everyone. It became too much for some of the lionesses to handle and they silently burst into tears. The others around them tried to console them but to some, it was no use.

"Should I go first?" Jelani whispered to his cousin, who bit her lip as she looked down at the ground.

"You start…" the former princess sighed. "I don't really feel like talking now."

Jelani looked up. He could feel dozens of eyes staring at him.

"Uhh…Zarina." he began with a soft voice. "I don't know what to say. There was so much to say about her. She was so smart. Whenever Keisha and I'd get into stupid stuff, she'd always talk us out of it. If she wasn't around, I think we would've been missing some body parts by now. S-s-she would've made a great queen. And her king—whoever he would've been, would've been a really lucky guy. She was so witty and pretty too."

"…and brave." Keisha mumbled.

Murmurs started to circulate around the crowd.

"What was that, Keisha?" Nala asked, putting an arm around her remaining granddaughter.

"**She was brave!**" the cub screamed loud enough for everyone to hear. "She didn't have to come and save me…**but she did!** And now she's dead cause of it! **Why didn't they just kill me instead?**"

She fought out of Nala's grip and ran off. She ran into the den and began to cry. The den was almost deserted with the exception of a few hyenas.

"Get over it ya' big baby!" Nama yelled. "That's karma for ya'!"

Keisha shot up immediately, ready to fight.

"Wanna say that again?" she snarled, cornering the hyena into the den's corner.

"Try us, _**princess**_!" Obi spat, defending his sister.

"You think I won't take on both of you?" Keisha asked, tears pouring down her face.

"Guys, relax…" a cub said calmly. "Just leave her alone."

"But Gamba, she—."

"You heard me!" Gamba ordered sharply. "**Butt out!**"

Keisha suddenly rose her head up towards Gamba's, looking him in his green irises.

"You know what?" she hissed. "Why don't **you** butt out? If you hadn't lied to me—in fact, if you or your stupid smelly hyena goons never showed up in the waterhole in the first place, none of this would've ever happened—**and I'd still have my family!**"

Her voice rattled the whole cave.

"Your heard that, Gamba?" Nama said in disgust.

"Yeah, that lil' twerp called us _**goons**_!" Obi added arrogantly.

Gamba stood speechless. He didn't quite know what to say.

"What's your problem?" he scoffed. "I was just saying sorry."

"You're my problem!" the grieving cub retorted. "Now get out of here before things get ugly!"

Before another quarrel could ensue, Nala came in after the cub.

"There you are." she said in a soft motherly voice as she nuzzled the steaming cub. "Your mother doesn't want you to roam too far. Let's go back."

Keisha turned away with a scanty smile of assurance came across her muzzle. Nala coldly glared at the cubs before she turned away with Keisha walking in front where she could see her. Something like that was dangerously out of character for Nala. One who was usually so accepting and caring to all who came her way.

"Don't listen to her, Gamby." Nama insisted once the two were out of earshot. "In a few years, you'll be gettin' the last laugh when you'll be king and she'll just be your servant."

"I guess," Gamba sighed.

* * *

><p>Once the grandmother and granddaughter returned, the ceremony resumed. It went will into the evening and by the time everyone was done giving their emotional stories about the king and the princess, the sun was beginning to set. The pride left colorful flowers on Zarina's grave. Keisha was still puzzled of how no trace of her father was found. As soon as they were ready to walk into the cave, Vuta halted them.<p>

"Just where do you think _you're_ going?" he said smugly, eying Kiara in particular. "This den is reserved for the hyenas."

"So where are we supposed to sleep?" Jelani scowled.

Vuta turned his finger to the open space outside of the den.

"Are you crazy?" the cub scoffed again. "We'll freeze our butts off out here!"

"**You heard him!**" Zira spat ferociously, darting out of the cave to her mate's side. "Now listen to him or _you_ can go sleep in outlands. Surely, the jackals and the crocodiles will enjoy your company. They just _looove_ the taste of little back sassing cubs like you."

Jelani swallowed long and hard. His mother directed him towards her.

"It's alright, Jelani." she said in a shushed tone.

They took their spots on the cold floor. The cubs shivered violently in the cold.

"I-I'm s-s-o cold, Mom." Jelani quavered, his body trembling like a leaf.

Vitani said nothing but wrapped her arm around Jelani tighter. Endless cacophonic laughter took place inside the den. She scoffed before she plopped her head onto the rock floor and fell asleep. Kiara was already fast asleep, but Keisha was still restless. Her mother wouldn't budge and escaping was near impossible. From her spot, she could see Gamba standing by the rock's mouth.

"I hope your happy." she muttered before she buried her face into her mother's pelt.

She thought to herself.

"_What happened to our promise?_"

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in the now tame river, Kovu washed ashore. He was unconscious but many visions played in his head. From his cub days, to the night he fell in love with Kiara, to the night his daughters were born, up until that last promise he made to Keisha before he left.<p>

"_Daddy, I'm scared…" _

"_What if you never come back...?"_

"_Promise…?" _

"_Promise…"_

Then suddenly, everything went white. It seemed as though his memory was erased right before his very eyes. His head was throbbing and he groaned as he felt water splash onto his face and mane.

"Hey, wake up." a voice whispered.

"Do you think he's dead?" another voice asked curiously.

"Let's poke him and find out!" the voice of a very young girl said excitedly.

"No one's poking anyone, Raisa!" the first voice said, followed by an annoyed grunt by the previous cub.

"No fair, Taj!" Raisa scowled. "You think you're so cool because you're the oldest."

"Zip it, squirt!" Taj retorted instantly.

"**Hey guys!**" the other voice said. "Look, I think he's waking up!"

Kovu's eyes fluttered open and he emitted a weary groan. He woke up to three lion cubs surrounding him.

"He's a zombie!" Raisa squealed. "Quick, run for it!"

"Raisa, settle down!" another female cub said, pinning her forepaw onto her tail.

She focused back on Kovu.

"Where are you from?"

"I…I don't know." he replied unsurely.

"Well what's your name?"

"Kovu…that's about all I remember."

The cub cocked an eyebrow.

"Oookay then…" she said. "Anyway, my name's Latifa."

She had a creamy pelt with lavender colored eyes. She pointed to the older and younger cubs.

"The big one's my big brother, Taj. And the little one's our little sister, Raisa."

Taj was a copper color with a scraggly black mane, which stuck out from behind his ears, neck and just above his forehead. He had berry brown eyes. Raisa was just a tad bit younger than Keisha and Zarina and had a tan pelt with baby blue eyes.

"Just follow us," ordered the oldest of the three siblings.

"Where are you taking me?" asked a disoriented Kovu.

"To our pride, silly!" Raisa said giddily.

After walking through a tangle of green shrubs and bushes, he noticed a lioness waiting impatiently for something. She was the same copper color as Taj with Latifa's eyes.

"Where have you three been?" the lioness said with relief. "I got worried for a minute!"

"Mom, look!" Raisa hollered. "We brought a lion…**and he's homeless!**"

The lioness stopped and glared at Kovu. She was about to pounce but Taj stopped her.

"No, Mom!" he insisted, barricading her from the brown-furred lion. "Kovu's cool."

"Just where are you from, _**Kovu**_?" the lioness spat.

"He doesn't remember anything." Latifa informed her mother. "We found him washed up by the river's head. He probably got hit real hard and it jumbled up his memory."

"Well he can't stay here!" the mother lioness retorted. "I just don't trust him around us."

"Please, Mom?" Raise pled in her high, squeaky voice. "If we don't help him, he'll get lost and die! Can we keep him? Please, please **pleaaseeeeeeeeee**?"

After deep thought, she had a change of thought.

"Fine…but I'm still a bit iffy." she finally decided grudgingly.

"Welcome to the Horus Pride, Kovu." Taj said heartily.

"Come on, we'll show you around!" Raisa said, tugging on his arm.

Latifa tagged along behind them. The lioness looked off at the quartet without saying a word.

"_Wow…the cubs seem to really love him._" she thought to herself. "_I haven't seen them this happy since their father was around." _

She suddenly called out to them. She smiled once she saw Kovu turn around towards her.

"Uhh…my name is Jamilla by the way." she said with a smile before turning away.

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><p><strong>Well, here's chapter 8 for you guys. Don't forget to review! :) Well, it's a little over 10 PM where I live so good night (or morning) everyone!<strong>

**Don't forget about the book cover ideas! For now, I'm using a gift picture I made for my fans on TLKFAA. I might make one if I get up to it, but I could still use your ideas! **

**Peace out for now!**


	8. Chapter 8: Special 'Tween' Power

**Thanks for the reviews, guys. They mean a lot. **

**comicfan209: Lmao. Yep. Vuta's a creep like that. And I don't know about Jamilla. She doesn't know that Kovu has a family of his own after all. :)**

**ironcross18: Thanks! :)**

**TLK Nerd: Only you! x] **

**can'thinkofasuitableusername: Thanks! I'm glad you like Zazu too. I think he's adorable. :)**

**Well, here's chapter 8! **

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><p>~8~<p>

A lost zebra roamed in the grasslands helplessly as his herd abandoned him. He bellowed loudly, hoping his herd would come back for him. His lungs nearly gave out, and he hung his head below his neck, recollecting himself. Once he looked up, he realized he was still all alone. He gave up hope of ever seeing them again and he went along. Little did he know, a pair of amber colored irises stalked him for some time. Those eyes belonged to the former queen of the Pridelands, who crouched in the long stalks of grass. Her golden body blended in perfectly with the autumn yellow blades. He looked around, noticing something was not right. But he couldn't put his finger on it. Kiara narrowed her eyes on her prey once more before she took two silent steps closer to her target. More lions began to circle him. The amount doubled, then tripled. By the time the zebra finally realized something was wrong, it was too late. He was trapped in a tight circle of hungry lionesses, who finally renounced from their various hiding places.

"Make sure he doesn't get away!" ordered Kiara as she grabbed hold of the zebra's neck.

The lionesses obliged and with little effort, they finished another hunt successfully. Several of the lionesses hauled their prey back to the den. Keisha and Jelani, who were pre-occupied in something else, scampered to the party calling for their mothers.

"Wow, that's a big one!" Jelani said in awe. "How'd ya manage to keep him down?"

"You mother's one of the best hunters we've ever had." Kandi mentioned. "Heck, if you're lucky, you might've caught some of that fighting gene yourself."

Jelani looked at Keisha smugly. Keisha rolled her eyes playfully.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Jelani inquired. "Let's eat!"

Just as they prepared to ear, Zira stopped them.

"**Animals!**" she spat. "Don't you have any manners? The king and the queen get the first serve!"

The pride obeyed their queen, but didn't hesitate from scoffing at her in disgust and mumbling things about her to one another. Keisha and Jelani looked hungrily at the zebra as Vuta and Zira gluttonously tore at the carcass. Gamba, afraid of what the Pridelanders would say about him, refused to eat. Instead, he caught a field mouse for himself. By the time they were done, there was only about half of the zebra left. The lionesses let their eager cubs get the first serve but a pack of hyenas growled at them, ready to have their share.

"Move it!" Fola scowled. "We were here first!"

"I don't see your name on it." the hyena spat smugly as he began to take huge bites out of the meat.

They made sure to get any piece of meat off the bones. By the time they were done with their share, nothing but the zebra's pearly white bones remained.

"This is ridiculous!" Kiara complained to Vuta. "We'll starve."

"Well, it seems like you'll just have to do _twice_ the work." Vuta suggested nonchalantly, barely giving the angered lioness eye contact.

"The herd will die out and we'd have **no** food."

"Well…you can always leave if you don't agree."

Kiara said nothing more but stormed out of the den. She looked up at the cloudy sky.

"Daddy, please help me," she muttered to the deathly gray sky. "I don't know what to do. I've lost all my power and I can do nothing but watch as my pride suffers. If nothing changes, our lands will die, and so will we. I'm sorry for failing you—and I'm sorry for failing Zarina and Kovu as well. But amidst all the wrongs, can you still guide us in this time of sorrow?"

She sadly walked away off to find a smaller meal for her and the other lions.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Rafiki crouched near his aging tree's wide hollow, looking off into the horizon as rain began to fall. Nyoni was right by him. Since she was young, she always looked to Rafiki for advice.<p>

"Oh, deez ezz terribal." he said faintly as a tear trailed down his cheek. "Great meesfortan weel take place een de yeaz to come."

"But what can be done?" Nyoni whispered. "It would be suicide to try and rebel against Vuta. He has those hyenas, and that snotty Zira, and he himself is about the size of two burly lions and he'd just do away with us with one smack."

"Vuta weel grow olda and weaka at some point…hopefully by then, the great change weel come and overthrow him."

"Ugh, Rafiki. Will you get off of that?" Nyoni retorted. "There _**is**_ no such thing as a great change! And there's no such thing as a '_special tweeennn power_'. It's just some stupid myth."

She felt guilty for barking at him like that and when she tried to look at him, he backed away.

"Look, Rafiki I…I'm sorry about that." she said remorsefully. "I'll just go home now if you want."

She took off, despite the cold weather to her home. Rafiki went along to ask the great kings for counsel. He broke a brown colored fruit in half and an orange, sticky liquid emerged. He grabbed a handful of petals and another handful of spores and mixed it in.

"Wafalme yangu, niambie njia." he mumbled. _My Kings, tell me the way. _

A sudden breeze circled him and he looked up.

"Nyonee ees too young to belieeve in de aftalife…what's thaat? Eh-he-he! Simba you haveent changed ah bit! How ees Kovu and dee beyoteeful preencess Zarina up deya?"

Suddenly, all the activity died.

"Eh?" he asked suspiciously. "He's **not** up there? Why deez can't be…what went wrong?"

He scurried to the further back of the baobab tree where he continued to investigate further.

"Dees ees strange…very strange endeed…"

* * *

><p>One month passed since that night and the lands began to deteriorate. The herds moved on and the lands began to grow weak. Keisha lingered away from the rest of the pride, following her mother, who seemed a bit stressed lately. She crept over to Vuta when no one was looking and Keisha secretly trailed behind her.<p>

"_Vuta…I'm begging you. She's all I have left. I don't want to lose her too._"Kiara said with tears in her eyes. "_I know there's not enough food to fill everybody, but I've suffered enough! Please, have a heart." _

"_I'm sorry, Kiara, but rules are rules._"Vuta said teasingly. "_You'll have to abide by them if you or your family wants to survive._"

Keisha narrowed her eyes in anger. Vuta stared at her for a while. And then he spoke.

"_I'll spare your brat,_" he finally decided.

Kiara was too overjoyed that she didn't see the smug smile that began to surface on his muzzle.

"_Unlesss…_"

"_Unless what?_"

Vuta brought Kiara's ear close to his maw. He uttered something in there. Keisha couldn't hear but she figured it was bad since Kiara instantly jerked her head and looked at him in disgust.

"_You shrew!_" she spat sharply. "_You __**really**__ think I would degrade myself like that?_"

"_It's your choice, Kiara—comply or suffer._" he said with an evil chuckle.

Kiara's eyes welled with guilty tears and she looked up at him feebly. She was hungry and had grown considerably thinner since she was overthrown. She needed all the help she could get, and frankly, Vuta was the only one who could help her.

"_Fine,_"

Kiara and Vuta walked out of the den together. Keisha hid behind the rocks and peered at them. Her mother looked unhappy and her face was still wet with tears. She turned around, but jumped when a golden lioness appeared before her.

"Z-Zarina? You're alive!" she squealed. "Wait till I tell Mom and the others, they'll be so—."

"**Hush!**" Zarina hissed. "I'm dead, Keisha. I just came to give you advice."

"Advice? I can't kick Vuta's butt with advice!"

"**Great Kings! You're so ignorant!**"

Keisha backed down guiltily.

"Look, I'm sorry. I know it's hard, but you have to listen to me."

"Alright…"

"The Pridelands will suffer a **horrible** fate if you don't stop Vuta and Zira."

"But what can I do? I'm just a cub!"

"Of course you can't do it now, but when you're older, it'll be up to you to defeat them…and you'll need a little bit of help."

"From who?"

"Anyone! Maybe even…"

Zarina jerked her head towards the lion and hyena pups trio, which were playing and horsing around.

"Oh **no-no-NO**!" Keisha insisted. "I am **NOT **asking _**HIM**_ for help! It was his fault all of this happened in the first place!"

"Keisha…you're stubborn and unforgiving." chided Zarina. "All of this needs to stop. The fact of the matter is, by yourself, you're powerless but with others, you can overcome any feat."

"But Zarina, he—."

"Look, for now, just keep your head up. Usikate tamaa, dada. Don't give up, little sister. And remember, I will always be there for you."

As quick as she appeared, Zarina left to join her other celestial ancestors.

"Zarina, don't leave me here…" Keisha begged. "Stay with me forever."

"I'm sorry, Keisha." the golden cub crooned. "Stay strong. I'm always here for you when you need me."

"Alright…if you say so,"

* * *

><p><strong>Well here's chapter 8. Too short? I usually like to make my chapters at least 2,000 words but I wanted to end it off here instead. Well, I won't leave you guys hanging. Next chapter's coming really soon. <strong>


	9. Chapter 9: Secrets and Confessions

**Yay! Chapter 9! I'd say this story's about halfway done. Well, I'm not too sure about that. The original Sweet Revenge was only supposed to be about 20-21 chapters long. But I'm adding so much stuff in this version that I don't know HOW long this will be. But it shouldn't be more than 25. But what they hey? Now onto my awesome reviewers: **

**- comicfan209: Well you're about to find out! Haha. And I agree. Rafiki's a silly old monkey, isn't he? =)**

**- can'thinkofasuitableusername: Preach it! xD **

**- Ke-Ke Shan: Yep, it's sad. :( And I'll try and make the updates quicker! Thanks for reading! **

**PS: There's some mild cursing and suggestive themes in this chapter. Just saying. :/ **

* * *

><p>~9~<p>

"If you had half a brain, you'd let go of my food!" Jelani growled ruthlessly as he glared Obi in the eye.

About half a year passed and he'd grown significantly. He'd gotten taller and more muscular. His brown mane got much longer, and hung just above his purple eyes and went down his neck to the tip of his left shoulder blade. His voice sported a lower more masculine pitch, and his attitude changed from when he was a cub, which posed a threat for those who came his way.

"Let go of my lunch, kid." Obi responded, not at all fazed by Jelani's threats.

He'd changed slightly as well. He too had gotten taller and stronger. His jet-black fur gradually turned brown and spots began to show.

"You got three seconds to let go, Shrimp." the light-tan lion said as he extracted his claws.

He slowly counted down. When Obi didn't budge, he tackled him, ripping the meat out of his grip and pressing his paw against his windpipe.

"I better not see your ugly face again," he hissed, applying more pressure to his victim's throat.

He turned away, with his slab of meat in his mouth and went to meet the rest of the pride. Obi stood there in shock. He trembled like a leaf. From the mouth of the den, Vuta saw everything and growled to himself. He immediately turned away.

"That cub is getting stronger every day," he murmured to himself. "He'll pose a threat when he's big enough. It's just a matter of days."

He sharpened his claws against the rocky terrain below.

"I _**can't**_ let him ruin this!"

However, in the midst of his monologue, a slender, golden lioness that came his way caught his eye.

"_**Kiara,**_" he said with a devilish grin. "You came back for more, did you?"

"In your dreams," she spat. "I'm just doing this for my family."

"You're adorable when you're in denial,"

"Don't make me sick."

"Well, let's get this over with, shall we?"

Kiara groaned in disgust as she and Vuta went off into the fields, which were barren since the herds moved on. Every time they became one, she'd get a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. An intense churning feeling that'd haunt her even after the deed was done. She wanted to retch. Maybe if she did, she'd purge all the sin from her body. She wonder how Kovu felt, looking down at her, seeing her mate with another male—the _same_ male that destroyed their family and their home. She'd be scorned upon if anyone at Pride Rock—especially Zira—found out about this and fought to keep her skeletons in the closet where they belonged.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back at Pride Rock, a brown-furred young male admired a lioness about his age from afar. He longed to be with her. However, because of their past, the hopes of every being with her were slim to none.<p>

"Keisha…" he sighed. "I just wish I could tell you how sorry I was. If I could, I'd take everything back."

He continued to talk, not knowing that Nama and Obi were eavesdropping behind him.

"All I want to do is be with you."

"Really, Gamba?" Nama scoffed. "You could do _**so**_ much better than her!"

"Piss off," he muttered to himself.

"What's the matter, Gamby?" Obi teased. "Keisha's got you whipped?"

The two hyenas started laughing loudly. Gamba swiftly turned back, shushing them.

"Stop it guys!" he hissed. "You'll blow my cover."

"**What cover?**" a female voice asked that nearly made Gamba jump out of his skin.

He turned back to find an angry Keisha looking down at him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she inquired angrily. "**Stay away from me!**"

"But Keisha, I—."

"**Just leave me alone!**"

She stormed away from him. Gamba turned back at his friends.

"Good going." he said sarcastically before he went after her. "Now she thinks I'm some creepy voyeur or something."

"Well you _were_ staring at her." Nama added in her and Obi's defense.

Gamba rolled his eyes before he went after her. His search for her stopped near the waterhole, which water gradually depleted from since Vuta's reign. Keisha was looking into the waters, with mixed emotions. Gamba came up close to her.

"Keisha, I—."

"Can you just leave me alone?" she ordered. "I don't want to be bothered with you—."

"But Keisha, can I—."

"Do I have to beat the sense into you? I will, I—."

"**Keisha, I'm in love with you!**" Gamba's voice echoed in the distance, silencing the brown lioness.

"Y-you are?" she asked faintly.

"Yeah," he said with an assuring smile. "Well, do you love me too?"

"Umm…I don't know, I…"

In a heartbeat, it was if she'd forgotten all about what happened in the past. His cute, boyish grin made her heart race and she smiled back at him. _Zarina said he would help me when the timing was right. This is perfectly normal—right? Right? No __**not right**__! What the hell am I thinking? I can't fall in love with __**him**__? Does my family mean nothing to me?_

"No, I can't do this." she said apologetically. "I'm sorry."

She parted from him and headed back home.

"Keisha!" Gamba shouted as his love ran off. "Please, just give me a chance!"

Either she was too far away or she didn't bother listening because she didn't stop. She continued on her run to Pride Rock.

"I deserve this," Gamba muttered. "_I really do._"

* * *

><p>"Zarina, help me, please." Keisha sighed, looking up into the starlit sky. "I need guidance right now. And I could really use your help as well as the help of the other Great Kings."<p>

"You lunatic, stop talkin' to the sky!" Nama cackled.

"Don't talk too much, Nama." Obi added. "You'll fry her brain."

Keisha glared at them and cornered them as they continued to walk away.

"Is that a challenge?" she growled in a ferocious voice. "**If I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut!**"

"Or what?" Nama scoffed. "You gonna hit me, girly?"

Keisha snarled at them in frustration. Jelani, who was in the corner of the den with Vitani, overheard the commotion. He stepped out and barricaded his younger cousin from the two hyenas.

"Didn't learn from that last beating I gave your idiot brother?" Jelani scorned as he gave Nama a death glare.

"You wouldn't hit a pretty little girl like me," said the hyena spitefully. "You don't have the** guts**!"

She smirked as she and Obi turned away and continued to whatever they had to do. Jelani wanted to go after her, but Keisha convinced him to stay.

"Jelani," she said modestly to her older cousin. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure, kid! Why not?"

"Well…I umm…I mean...would you get together with a girl if she was…err—evil?"

"Well, is she _hot_?"

"Jelani, seriously! **Cut the crap!**" scolded an impatient Keisha.

"Okay! Okay! Get a grip!" Jelani scoffed. "Well, I would be kinda tee'd off at first I guess. But people change you know, and maybe I'd be that _one_ guy who comes around and makes her turn over a new leaf…but seriously, is she hot?"

"Jelani!" Keisha laughed as she playfully punched her cousin.

"I haven't seen you smile like that in forever! It's just like old times, us playing around and stuff, huh?"

"I guess so," Keisha smiled. "You know…Jelani, ever since Zarina died, you've kinda been like a big brother to me."

She brought him into a hug.

"Thank-you for being there for me, _ndugu_." Brother.

"Aww, don't mention it, Squirt."

The two trotted away, while Zira caught sight of them.

* * *

><p>"It's those scruffy hyenas today, but it will be us tomorrow!" Zira said, referring to Jelani's sudden rebellion. "That little brat will ruin it for us!"<p>

"We need to get rid of him, and that other grown one too." Vuta suggested. "Perhaps we can lead them out into the lands beyond the borders, kill them, and claim it was an ambush."

"Perfect…" Zira said with an evil smile. "But how will you lead them out that far?"

"Leave it to me, darling. I know what I'm doing."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, night began to dawn in the lands of the Horus pride. Kovu was preparing Raisa for her first hunt.<p>

"You know, when you're hunting, you gotta crouch down real low," Kovu said to his mentee.

"Yeah, stay low." Raisa said in annoyance. "What else?"

"Sssh, be patient. Try not to make a sound."

"_Oh, alright…_" Raisa whispered as she narrowed her eyes on her target: a certain black-maned brown-furred lion who tried to impress some young rogue lionesses who wandered into their lands.

"_Slowly count down, and leap…_"

Silence. Then, suddenly…

"**Gotcha!**" Raisa exclaimed as she wrapped her paws around Taj and tackled him into the ground.

"Get off of me, dweeb." Taj said between grit teeth to his sister, who was in a fit of laughter.

The lionesses chuckled to themselves.

"I'm sorry, Ladies." Taj said suavely as he flashed them a smile. "Now where were we?"

"Oh I'm sorry," one of the lionesses laughed. "We _**must**_ get going now. It was nice talking to you though, erm…Raj."

"It's _**Taj**_!" the young adult shouted as the beautiful duo padded away.

He swiftly jerked his head towards Raisa, who was still giggling slightly.

"Now you're really in for it!" he snarled as he ran after his sister.

Kovu laughed to himself as he saw the brother and sister get at it like two hungry dogs fighting over a bone. Latifa quickly intervened.

"**Guys, stop it!**" she said. "Don't you know what today is?"

Raisa and Taj shook their heads quizzically.

"**Ugh!** It's been a _**whole year**_ since Kovu's joined our pride. **Don't you guys know anything?**"

"Ohhh right…" the eldest and youngest cubs droned.  
>"And Mother wants you guys to come now." Latifa ordered.<p>

The siblings complied and Kovu followed as well. Once they reached their destination, they found Jamilla smiling at her cubs eagerly, a big antelope carcass lying behind her.

"I can't believe it's been a year already," she said with a smile as her eyes fastened onto the brown strapping lion. "Kovu, you may not realize this, but you've been such a great addition to our pride."

"Well, I'm flattered," Kovu responded with a huge grin.

"You should be!" Latifa added. "You've been like a…father to us."

Kovu jumped in shock. Suddenly, he saw a vision flash before his eyes. Vague memories of him cradling two newborn cubs, one golden and one a light brown, danced around in his conscious. Memories of teaching the growing cubs how to walk, talk, and play. Their voices were so sweet and innocent. Another full-grown lioness, who resembled the golden cub, showered him with love and cuddled with him. Her smile was intoxicating.

"Kovu…are…are you alright?" Raisa asked with concern. "Are you sick or something?"

In an instant, Kovu snapped back into reality and the visions went away as soon as they appeared.

"When you're around us, Kovu we feel…like…like…a full family again." Jamilla said with a modest grin. "And maybe if you want to…we can be. But we still hope you stay with us for many more years to come."

Kovu gave them a meager smile then excused himself. He raced to the river where the cubs found him a year ago and thought to himself.

"_Did I have a life before this place? Who were those cubs? Were __**they**__ my family?_"

Frustrated, his head hung wearily above his shoulders.

"I want answers…"

* * *

><p>The next day, Kiara and Nyoni were busy walking along the withered and dead fields.<p>

"This is a sad sight," Nyoni added sadly. "These were the lands we grew up in, and now they're…gone."

"We didn't do anything to deserve this," muttered Kiara. "None of this should've happened."

"I wonder if we should just leave…"

"**No!**" Kiara retorted. "I can't leave this home! Generations of royal blood lived here. I'm not going to stop that because I was a careless queen."

"Don't say that, you had no control over what happened—no one did."

Kiara stayed silent, unshed tears beginning to well her amber eyes. Suddenly, she heard growling as a circle of hungry hyenas trapped the two.

"What do you want?" she spat.

"Get to hunting, Queenie." one of them spat. "It's dinnertime."

"I'm not feeling up to it. Hunt for your own food."

"Well," a female one said, eyeing Nyoni. "That pretty pink birdie will do just fine."

"Touch Nyoni and it'll be the last thing you do, **flea**!" Kiara growled as she got into a fighting stance.

"Kiara, we better go, we—."

"**Quick! Get the bird!**"

One hyenas pounced onto her, ready to take a big chunk out of the hornbill. But as he took a bite, a golden paw slapped him away and he fell to the ground instead. Nyoni was spared, but lost a few tail feathers in the process.

"**Get to safety!**" Kiara ordered.

Nyoni complied and looked back sadly as she saw the overwhelming about of hyenas attack the former queen. Kiara tried to break free but they were too much and she fell to the ground, exhausted.

"Wanna make our lunch get away? **No worries!** You'll make a perfect substitute…"

"**Please no!**" Kiara wept. "My daughter will be orphaned. She'll have no parents!"

"Well it sucks to be her," one hyena told her with a ruthless grin.

Suddenly a loud roar could be heard and the hyenas fled when they saw it was a lion. Kiara looked up with all her might. Her vision was blurred and her body was trembling.

"_Please, help me…_" she whimpered faintly.

"Nyoni told us what happened," Vitani said, horrified at the sight of her sister-in-law's body. "Nala went to get Rafiki."

"_Sssh…_we're here for you, Kiara." Fola said, swallowing her tears. "We won't let you die."

Kiara's mouth curled slightly but she groaned in pain and suddenly everything went black.

* * *

><p><strong>So I know it might be confusing how a year passed and all. But I'm just gonna add that the beginning of Chapter 8 was set 4 months after Vuta and Zira took over. =) Well, that's all! I'll make sure to get Chapter 10 out ASAP. Thanks for reading guys! :)<strong>


	10. Chapter 10: The Bastard Cub

**Chapter 10! Yeahhh boyyeee! Okay, I'll stop it now…**

**TLK Nerd: 'Jamilla! No comment' Lmao, I laughed so hard when I saw that. She doesn't know any better. Lol**

**Comicfan209: Yep, tragic. :( And let's just see where this Kovu/Jamilla thing goes. Heck, it might not even exist. **

**Can'thinkofasuitableusername: Thanks! And her fate is told in this chapter! **

**Jade: It won't, lmao. Trust me. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>~10~<p>

"Please, make way!" Fola ordered as she and Vitani hoisted the unconscious lioness on their backs.

"Don't drop her too hard," Vitani reminded the adolescent as they both lowered their backs slowly.

Kiara's body slid off and she emitted a faint groan, but nothing more. Keisha, Jelani and Jabari rushed to her side.

"Mom!" wept the youngest of the trio. "What happened to her? Will she be alright?"

"She got into a fight with a few hyenas, but we're pretty sure she'll be okay," Fola ensured, sugarcoating the grim fact that there was a chance that Kiara wouldn't make it through the night. "We just have to wait and see what Rafiki has to say, when he gets here."

Keisha settled down next to her mother, burying her face into her coat and cuddled her, as she did when she was a cub. She hoped that the nostalgia of the good times they had together would persuade her to keep fighting. As she did this, Vuta walked in with Zira.

"Good heavens!" he gasped as he laid eyes on Kiara's bloody body.

"Your goons did this!" Jabari spat. "You better be lucky she survives this, or else—."

Vuta snarled at him and Kandi prevented him from saying anymore. She feared he'd put his life and the lives of the other Pridelanders in danger if he made the king lose his temper. Instead, Vuta's mouth curled into a grin as he circled the two grown males.

"Well, look at you two," he said with sarcastic awe. "You've both gotten so big. With the threat of rogues roaming in the borders, you'd both make _fine_ patrol men."

"You're not putting my son out there!" Vitani snarled at him. "I'm not gonna lose my only child to something like that!"

"Mom, it's for your own good," Jelani said, which shocked the whole pride. "You're the only parental figure I've had in my life, and I don't want to lose _you_ to something like that."

After a long pause, Vitani looked up at her son, who now stood a few inches taller than she did.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this, son?"

"Positive," he replied with an eager smile.

She nuzzled her growing boy affectionately, trying hard not to let her tears pass.

"I'm so proud of you," she said in a whisper as Jelani broke away.

Everyone watched in awe as the male lions exited the den and headed into the ghoulish lands that lingered beyond the borders. Kandi and Vitani couldn't help but think that something fishy was going on, but it was already too late to get them now.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the infamous trio of friends were lingering in the fields. Nama and Obi were horsing around, tackling and biting at one another's body parts, while Gamba just watched from a nearby rock. He didn't seem much like himself these days, and the hyenas were aware of his sudden change in personality.<p>

"What's wrong, Gamby?" Nama crooned as she nudged his hefty paw with her skinny black one. "Are you sick or something?"

"No," Gamba moaned. "I just don't wanna be bothered right now."

Obi soon intervened.

"It's that dumb princess' fault," he groaned in disgust. "She had to come and ruining everything looking all hot and stuff—and she screwed up Gamba's head."

Gamba couldn't help but crack a smile. Obi's stupidity could always brighten up his day. But this time, it only came with meager results.

"Come on, Gamba," he said. "You're not you anymore, and it's creeping me out."

Gamba rolled his eyes and turned away from the hyena siblings.

"We miss you, Gamby." Nama begged. "Don't let some stupid girl ruin what we used to be."

"I guess you're right," Gamba said with a grin as he lifted himself from the boulder. "Heck, I only wanted to do-and-ditch her anyway."

A lump formed in his throat as he spoke those lying words. He felt bad in slandering Keisha's name and lying about his intentions, but he wanted his friends to stop bugging him about his silly crush.

"Ha! I knew you really weren't in love with that stupid princess." Obi snickered. "But hey, you got _all_ the power once Vuta kicks rocks, and you can get all the girls you want once he's out of the way."

"But for now, let's take on this bag of bones," Nama laughed, jerking her head towards Obi.

* * *

><p>It was only a matter of time before Rafiki arrived with Nala to Pride Rock. He nor Nala didn't seemed fazed at all as the hyenas snapped at their feet. They'd already been through this ordeal when Scar was in power and proved the be the ones who had the most experience with tyrannies gone awry.<p>

"What eez de trouble heya?" he said.

"Please, help." Keisha begged. "She got attacked by a pack of hyenas and she's beat up pretty badly."

Rafiki placed a hand on the golden lioness' shoulder. She emitted a faint almost audible moan of pain.

"She eez steel alive." he declared. "But she eez in e lot of pain. Een soo much pain dat just waking up feelz like a thousand blades."

He spread his magical potions all around him. The other lionesses left the room as he began to work. Keisha peered at the shaman as he worked on her mother. Mixing herbs and juices together to create the potion that she hoped would save her mother's life. While she looked off from the mouth of the den, Gamba crept up behind her. Keisha just rolled her eyes and turned her head away.

"I heard what happened," he said to her. "If there's anything I can do for you, I'm right here."

"What could you possibly do for me?" scowled the female. "Now, I know you like me and stuff, but I find it hard to forgive you after everything. So can you just accept that and leave me alone?"

As Gamba walked away, she remembered what Jelani told her earlier that day. _Maybe he __**is**__ ready to turn over a new leaf_. _I should really give the kid a chance_. She quickly sped after him, catching up to him when he was at ground level.

"Gamba!" she cried out. "Stop! I wanna talk to you for a minute!"

He turned back and halted once he saw her coming after him.

"What is it?"

"Look, I'm sorry." she said out of guilt.

"No, it's my fault," Gamba insisted. "I shouldn't have bothered you about it. It was stupid of me to ask for so much so soon. If it's okay, can we still just be friends?"

"But Gamba, I have this weird feeling. And it's telling me that I want to be _so_ much more than your friend."

"W-wait, you're serious?"

"Yes…" Keisha said with a smile.

She placed her head under his chin and emitted a warm purr, which made Gamba jolt up suddenly. Their forelegs wrapped around one another's as they shared their loving embrace. Perhaps Jelani was right? It was time to give him a chance at love.

"Let's go," Gamba said suddenly as he broke away.

"Wait, what?"

"We'll leave these stupid lands!" he barked. "And we can go on the other side of Africa and start a new life together."

"But, Gamba!" Keisha retorted. "Are you even thinking about what you're saying? How will we eat? Where will we live? What about our pride?"

"Screw the pride! We can make a whole new pride!"

"What do you mean by _make_?"

"Uhhh, you know…errr…ummm—."

"Great Kings! You **can't** be serious! We're still so young. Why are you doing this all so fast? Hell, I don't even know if I running away with you is even _**worth**_ leaving my family and friends behind."

Gamba just glared at her once she said those words.

"So that's how you really feel?"

"No, Gamba." Keisha stammered. "It's just that—."

"Forget about it!"

"**FINE!**"

The two adolescents stormed away from one another. Gamba headed towards the back entrance of Pride Rock. Suddenly, he plopped himself onto the floor and emitted a groan of frustration. He wondered if it was even worth it anymore.

* * *

><p>"There's not a damn rogue in sight," Jabari scoffed. "Why the heck are we even out here?"<p>

"I don't know, but it's freezing." Jelani added, his body trembling slightly. "I just wanna go home."

The two males headed left of the borders and continued walking.

"Where's Vuta anyway?" the eldest of the two male lions inquired.

"He disbanded from us about halfway down the borders." Jelani responded.

"That coward. I bet he didn't want to be out here to face them."

"Care to repeat that, imbecile?" a masculine voice said.

He leapt from the shadows and his identity was revealed.

"Vuta?"

His claws were extracted and he bore his razor sharp teeth. A pack of hyenas were grouped behind him, hungrily licking their lips and slobber hanging from their mouths.

"Why are you doing this?" Jelani asked.

"I'm sorry, lads. But I can't stay here and let you overthrow me." Vuta chuckled. "Now die!"

The hyenas charged after their targets and the young adults ran beyond the borders. The terrain was muddy and nearly impossible to walk in. With the hyenas hot on their trail, they ran with all their might. They were able to get away but their plan to escape was hindered when they reached the end of a cliff. Vuta peered closer to the lions, laughing like a maniac.

"Any last words, my boys?"

Jabari looked over the ledge. The ground was probably a thousand feet below.

"We have to jump!" he said to Jelani.

"Are you crazy?" Jelani bellowed. "We'll kill ourselves!"

"I advise you listen to your friend, fool." Vuta grinned. "You should stay here and take your death like a real man."

Jabari snarled at him.

"Are you sure about this?" Jelani asked frantically.

"I'm…I'm not." Jabari said. "But would you rather stay up here and certainly die or jump and take a chance?"

The tan furred adolescent looked up at him reluctantly. Jabari could tell he was frightened.

"Look, I won't let you die, Jelani—not yet." he promised as he took a hold of his paw.

Jelani's grimace turned in a nod of approval and the two shut their eyes tight before they leapt off the ledge and into the valley below. Vuta and his goons stood there in utter shock. The king peered closer at the lions and with the exception of the trees cracking below, there was silence. An evil smile came across his face.

"_**Idiots!**_" he scoffed. " I can't believe it was _**this**_ easy to get rid of these morons! If that's the case, I would've done this earlier."

He turned to the hyenas.

"If anyone asks, they were ambushed by rogues and killed. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" the hyenas replied in unison as they scampered back to Pride Rock.

Vuta looked down at the scene for a few more seconds before he too turned away and headed to his home.

* * *

><p>Kiara woke up in a daze. Her mind fluttered wildly and a light grayish figure appeared in front of her. Once her vision focused, she smiled weakly.<p>

"Rafiki," she said inaudibly in a shaky voice. "And I glad to see you?"

"Hush now, Keeara." Rafiki hushed as he applied more of the potion to her wounds.

Her scars stung a bit but she was thankful to be alive.

"Will I be alright?"

"Yoo weel bee just fine!" Rafiki said in that crazy shaman tone of his. "Eet's going to bee a leetel painful de first few nights, but you weel pull through."

She was so glad to hear those words. She couldn't imagine leaving Keisha orphaned with so many bad influences around her.

"How long will I have to stay like this?"

"About a week's top."

"Great, and will I be back to my old self."

"Poseetive, your majestee!"

Kiara was about to close her eyes again and take a long-awaited nap, but Rafiki opened his mouth once more.

"And stay out of trouble, young ladee."

"Alright," she scoffed, thinking it was a joke. "I will."

"Keeara, dey is sometheeng you should know."

He looked up at her with serious eyes. It was a face rarely seen on the crazy fun-loving mandrill. Kiara took a long hard gulp, concerned over what could possibly be so severe.

"You ah pregnant, your majestee."

"No…**NO!**"

She tried to get up but she could only lift her forelegs.

"I can't have this cub! Get rid of it now!"

"Buy why? Eet's such a mageecal experience."

"Rafiki, I'm begging you!" Kiara said on the verge of tears. "I can't go along with this."

"I'm sorry, but dere is notheeng I can do, your majestee."

He solemnly turned away while Kiara was left in dismay. How was she going to tell her pride that she was carrying the cub of the most ruthless lion known to man?

* * *

><p><strong>So, it'll end off here. So Kiara's alright (Yay!) but she's pregnant (:O). Wonder who the father could be—*sarcasm* o_o. Hope you liked it! <strong>

**PS: I just noticed. Why is Kosa and Valido in the canon characters section. They definitely AREN'T canon, so what's up? They're actually part of this AWESOME comic series which I read a few months back on DA, but just wondering why they were up there… :P **

**Peace out for now. **


	11. Chapter 11: A Pride Seperated

**Reviewer Response: **

**- can'thinkofasuitableusername: I'm sure she will. :) But not only Kovu, practically everyone else that's been through the wrath of this a-hole. Lmao. **

**- TLK Nerd: It's a mom's thing. :P And heck yes. There's LOADS of drama in this chapter and future ones. Stay tuned.**

**- comicfan209: I laughed at that last statement. You can say that again. xD **

**Enjoy, guys!**

**By the way: This chapter has a lot of cursing and one pretty racy scene in it. So if you're under 13, shield your virgin eyes—NOWWWWWW! :P**

* * *

><p>~11~<p>

"I know you had something to do with this!" Vitani spat in a fiery tone.

Vuta had just broke the news that Jelani and Jabari were killed by 'passing rogues'. Kandi was too distraught at the loss of her son that she couldn't even form words. She and Fola were huddled together, sobbing in the corner of the den.

"Vitani, what are you talking about?" Vuta responded with a smirk. "I had _**nothing**_ to do with your son's death. It's unfortunate, but it happens. _Nothing_ can bring him back."

"I'll find out what you did to my son, and when I do, you'll be sorry!" she rued in a voice filled with immense hatred and sorrow.

She quickly ran away when she could feel her own tears fighting to come out. The other lionesses tried to stop her, but she didn't listen. She fought her way through the lionesses crowding her and found a quiet place to set free the many emotions that overwhelmed her. Nobody had ever seen Vitani cry in her life. All the misfortunes that took place in her life were bottled up and stored, but Jelani's death was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"_Why didn't they take me instead?_"

* * *

><p>Jabari woke up, his head spinning. He groaned in pain and his vision shifted from left to right in a blur. His life was spared after he was caught in a tangle of vines that was a few feet above the ground below. He immediately gnawed himself out of the vines and fell with a thud to the ground. His mind was a bit jumbled up, but he was alive.<p>

"I can't believe it!" he cackled victoriously. "We're alive! I told you we'd be alright, Jelani!"

He turned around to see if he could find his friend. But he was nowhere in sight. He began to fear the worst when suddenly, he heard several loud snaps and then a shrill scream. Before he knew it, a tan feline fell on top of him and the two were on the ground.

"You alright there, buddy?" Jelani laughed as Jabari got up, a bit disoriented.

"Yeah, yeah," Jabari scoffed, shaking his head. "Let's just get out of here."

"But we have to go back! We can't let Vuta—."

"**Don't you remember what he said?** If we go back there, we'd be goners."

"But what about our families?"

"The bastard's probably told them we're dead anyway. We might as well start a new life,"

Jelani reluctantly looked up at him. But after considering what Jabari said, he agreed to go with him.

"Where will we go?" he inquired.

"Who knows?" Jabari responded nonchalantly. "All I know is we can't go back, as long as Vuta, Zira, and that stupid cub are around."

* * *

><p>Weeks passed, and many things were happening in the Pridelands. For one, another ceremony—the third ceremony, in less than two years, was held for Jelani and Jabari. So much loss in so little time was too much for the Pridelanders to handle, and many broke down crying at the thought of losing two more valued members of the pride.<p>

"It'll be alright, Aunt Tani," Keisha insisted, slinging an arm over Vitani's trembling body. "He's in a better place now."

"He was my only child, Keish." Vitani wept. "He didn't deserve it. I hope _his_ children—if he has any, suffer the same fate mine did."

Kiara, who overheard Vitani's words, had a sick feeling in her stomach. She looked down at her own belly, which began to gradually swell with life. She wasn't ready to tell them what happened, especially with this news out. She ran away from the ceremony and looked for Vuta.

"Vuta!" she cried out, trying not to put too much attention onto herself. "_**VUTA!**_"

"Why, if it isn't my little, royal pet?" he said with a smirk as he jumped from behind into her face.

Their muzzles were only inches apart.

"Now what is it, lovely?" he asked suavely. "Have I been neglecting you lately?"

"No, this is a serious matter! We need to talk."

"Make it quick, doll. I have other things to do."

They quickly rushed to the back of Pride Rock. Not a soul was there and Kiara was free to tell Vuta her horrifying secret.

"Vuta," she started in a shaky voice. "I'm…I'm…pregnant…"

His eyes widened in shock, but then, a malicious grin swept across his sandy colored muzzle.

"Looks like your skeletons are out now," he chuckled sinisterly. "It was about time _they_ found out about _our little secret_. How will little Keisha feel knowing that her half-sibling was fathered by the same man who killed her family?"

"Shut up!" Kiara roared. "**SHUT UP!**"

"And Kovu." Vuta continued with a smirk. "He's probably disgusted by the fact that his beautiful, young wife was violated by his murderer."

Kiara in the heat of the moment, scratched him in the face with a paw. Enraged, Vuta slammed her to the ground. Kiara emitted a weary moan as she looked up at Vuta.

"Do that again and I'll kill you _and_ the little bastard," he warned before turning away.

Kiara steadied herself and hung her head below her shoulders. She sobbed quietly as she feared what everyone would think about her. She could only hide this pregnancy for a little while. Then, the symptoms would kick in, and then everyone would know. She padded away sadly, not knowing that Zira was eavesdropping behind the walls.

"That bitch!" she hissed furiously as she clawed the walls of the cave in rage. "How _**dare**_ she mate with _**my**_ king?"

She jerked her head towards the golden lioness, who was talking to a few other lionesses.

"I won't kill her, no," she said to herself, contemplating the punishment necessary for her wicked doings. "That's too easy. I'll turn the whole pride against her. She'll be all alone in this reign of terror."

Before she turned away, she glared at Kiara for a few more seconds.

"You'll pay for what you've done, _**harlot**_!"

* * *

><p>The next morning, Kovu slowly walked back to the den after a long and exhausting training session with Raisa. She chose not to come along and instead, hang around with her older siblings, gloating about the colossal wildebeest that she'll catch when her first hunt comes around. Kovu walked in, not knowing Jamilla was in the cave. She slipped behind him, a seductive smile on her face.<p>

"Hello, Kovu," she said in a soft, feminine voice that made Kovu's spine shiver.

He swiftly turned back.

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you," he said apologetically. "I didn't know you were in here, I was just going to rest for a bit."

"Don't worry about that," she smirked. "I'll make sure you get _a lot_ of rest after we're through."

Kovu's eyes widened as he backed away from the sultry lioness.

"Jamilla, y-you don't know what you're doing!" he said, trying to convince her to stop what she was doing.

"But Kovu, ever since the cub's father died, I haven't felt the touch of a man. I've been in love with you since you first washed up on our shore those few years ago, Kovu."

The young cubs and female lioness that drifted in and out of his head began to buzz around as Jamilla's body inched towards his. He had a feeling that this was his _own_ family and committing this act with Jamilla would put a strain on his own life.

"So what do you say?" she purred, weaving her fingers into his dark brown mane. "Do you want to make me the happiest lioness alive?"

"I-I'm sorry, Jamilla." Kovu apologized. "I can't go through with this."

"Well why not?" the lioness whimpered. "Am I not pretty enough?"

"No, it's not that," the brown furred lion insisted. "It's just that—."

"**You ungrateful piece of crap!**" Jamilla snapped violently. "**I saved you from certain death, fed you, sheltered you, and this is how you repay me? Get out of here, NOW!**"

"Jamilla, please," Kovu begged. "Reconsider what you're saying. I have nowhere else to go!"

"**Well frankly, neither does our relationship—so get out you narcissistic shrew!**"

Kovu sadly turned away, ready to head out on his own. As he turned away, he could hear Jamilla sobbing from the insides of the den. He felt bad for hurting her like that, but he knew that there was someone else, and now that he was all alone, he could finally find them. He walked off to the river to lap up some water before he started his journey when a panicked scream caught his attention.

"Raisa!" he said aloud before he ran off to find the distraught cub.

After a few minutes of searching, he found her cornered by a man about six feet tall, with a gun pointed right at her.

"**Leave her alone!**" he roared before he pounced onto him.

He shook in fear underneath the burly lion and ran off once he miraculously let go.

"Where are Latifa and Taj?" Kovu asked her once the man was out of earshot.

"They're looking for a hiding spot!" Raisa said, on the verge of tears. "I was right behind them, but then one of them cornered me and I was so scared, Kovu! And there are others out there too!"

"Do your best and find some refuge," the brown male ordered as he consoled the crying cub.

She obliged and ran off, while Kovu got into a fighting stance and looked to wipe out any more of the foreign intruders. Without knowing, two of them ganged up on him with their rifles pointed at his body. He growled at them and slammed them down, while managing to secure the rifle in his mouth and throw it aside. He bit one in the arm, refusing to let go despite the man's howls of pain.

"For Christ's sake, kill this goddamn thing!" he bellowed in utter pain.

The other hunter faltered as he tried to get the gun that Kovu had swiped away. Instead, he thought of another idea. He lit a match and threw it into the ground after adding kerosene. Kovu immediately let go once he saw the blades intensify with each second that went by.

"Yeah! Flee you bastard!" the hunter cackled as he grabbed hold of his injured partner.

Kovu escaped before the flames could engulf him. By the time he caught his breath and looked up, he realized Jamilla was still in the caves. He quickly ran back, despite the huge fire to the cave.

* * *

><p>"Zira, why did you bring us out here?" scowled Fola as her eyes followed the pacing queen.<p>

"Just to share some _wonderful_ new with you," Zira responded with an evil smirk. "It's about your _beautiful_ Kiara."

"What did you do to her?" Keisha said in rage.

"What did _I_ do? You mean what did Vuta do?"

Keisha backed away.

"W-what are you talking about, Zira?"

"Oh, haven't you heard, my child?" Zira continued, her voice raising a few decibels with each word that came out of her mouth. "In a few months, you'll be the older sister of a bastard cub!"

"No…**she'd never do that!**"

The lionesses talked amongst themselves, some scorning her actions, while very few felt pity for her. Kiara walked out soon after, surprised as to why every lioness seemed to hate her guts.

"What's the matter?" she asked, her ears flattened against her head.

"Mom, it's not true—_is it_?" Keisha asked in a faint whimper. "Please tell me this is Zira playing one of her sick games. Are you really having Vuta's cub?"

Kiara's heart sank once Keisha uttered those words. All the lionesses stared at her, awaiting an answer. Zira quickly left the scene and watched the drama unfold from the ledge.

"It's true," she wept. "I'm so sorry, I—."

"**What the hell's wrong with you?**" Vitani roared in the heat of the moment. "**Do we mean**_** nothing**_** to you? If you had **_**ANY**_** respect for all of the lives that bastard cut short, you wouldn't have mated with him!**"

Everyone gasped as they turned their heads towards her. Her face grew a fiery red, her breaths were ragged, and her eyes had a deadly glint of fire in them.

"Mom, how could you?" Keisha spoke softly, on the verge of tears. "Does Dad mean nothing to you?"

"Keisha, I did it for you," Kiara insisted, tears rolling down her face. "I didn't want to do it, but I did it to save you."

"**Kiara, he killed our children!**" Vitani roared in defense. "**I can't believe you'd lay with that monster. And to make matters worse, you're carrying that sicko's child. I have half a mind to rip that little bastard out of your stomach and—.**"

Before she could leap and attack the expecting lioness, Nala as well as a few other barricaded her. Vitani had time to recollect herself. Her voice became frighteningly calm.

"I've lost all respect for you," she muttered. "Kovu's probably turning in his grave as we speak."

She as well as her supporters turned away, giving her one last cold glare before they followed her. By the time the group disbanded, only Nala and Fola remained by her side. Keisha stood in front of her, too shaken up to even react.

"Keisha, please," Kiara wept. "Mommy loves you. I didn't mean to hurt you, but—."

The mortified adolescent narrowed her eyes in anger and turned away, running from the trio of lionesses.

"It'll be alright," Fola said, brushing her paw against Kiara's as she sobbed.

"We'll help you," Nala said, nuzzling her daughter lovingly.

* * *

><p><strong>Dang! Some family drama just took place! Leave your feedback. Do you think it was right of Vitani and the others to react like that? Now, I'm off to take my Trig regents. Wish me luck!<strong>


	12. Chapter 12: A Bitter Reunion

**Simba Pridelands: Thanks for reading! I figured that typing Rafiki's part normally would seem a bit OOC for him since he has a pretty strong accent. I'll just add translations to the right, so it's better for everyone! Thanks for your input! C: **

**Spottedmask12: Thanks for reading! :D**

**Milele yako: Awesome! A lot of people (including yourselves) seem to think that Vitani's reaction was normal. **

**Kovu 01-Kiara 01: You're back! :DD And she'll get a lot of support. PM me sometimes! :)**

**Can'thinkofasuitableusername: Zira won't kill Vuta. That's suicide. Lol. Rather than take her anger out on the lion that truly deserves it, she lashes out at Kiara because she's an easier target. Sad.. :P**

**Comicfan209: I must say, your summaries are awesome. And I promise Vuta will meet a horrible, deadly fate in time. Haha!**

**KeKe-Shan: Lol! Zira's just being a hater. xD **

**And I added a new book cover. This isn't really new, I made it when I was like 12 or 13 because I was planning on making it a comic book series. But then I got lazy. :/ Whatever. Anyway, enjoy the chapter, guys! **

* * *

><p>~12~<p>

"I told you to **get out!**" Jamilla hissed, despite Kovu's constant pleas. "You broke my heart, Kovu. Just let me be!"

"Jamilla, you don't understand!" Kovu said, frantically looking back at the scene. "This whole place will be in flames if we don't get out of here, fast!"

"I don't care—**now piss off!**"

"But do it for your cubs, Jamilla." Kovu said, at his last whim. "They need you right now."

Jamilla looked up, unshed tears in her eyes. The smoke that snuck into the den burned her eyes and nostrils.

"Let's go." she said.

Kovu smiled as the two departed from their former home and tried to escape. The couple were greeted with a ghastly sight. Nearly all of the forest was engulfed in flames and thick, gray smoke blackened the skies. Jamilla's lungs filled with the thick smoky air and a painful burning sensation took over.

"Oh God," she moaned. "It hurts so bad, Kovu."

"Come on Jamilla, you have to do it." Kovu wheezed, trying to get her to follow him to safety. "You have to be brave."

Jamilla complied but then, a lofty tree was uprooted in the midst of the commotion. Jamilla let out a blood-curdling scream when she found herself overcome by a sudden crushing pain.

"Oh God," Kovu panicked, trying to roll the heavy log off of her. "I'll get you out of here."

Jamilla's coughs grew more violent and her eyes were brick red. She looked up at Kovu feebly.

"Go!" she insisted. "If you try to save me, we'll _both_ die."

"No, I'm not leaving!"

"**I said GO!**"

His eyes fastened on the lioness who grew weaker with every second that went by.

"Take care of my cubs for me," she said in her dying breath. "You're all they have now."

She gasped and her head fell gracefully to the ground. Kovu took his paw and stroked the body one last time before he took off.

"_How will I tell them?_" he thought to himself sadly.

* * *

><p>"Latifa!" Raisa shouted at the top of her lungs. "Taj? Kovu? Mom!"<p>

She'd found refuge like Kovu told her, but ran off when the flames snuck towards her hiding spot. Now, she was all alone.

"Someone…?"

In an instant, a tan furred lion just a bit older then her leapt in front of her.

"W-who are you?" she asked worriedly.

"That's not important right now," the older lion said hesitantly. "Now you look pretty scared. Want to come with me for a while?"

"Yeah right," Raisa scoffed. "As if I'd ever go anywhere with you!"

"_Pleeeaaaassseeeee?_"

Raisa looked back at the thick smoke clouds back where her old home used to be. It now looked much smaller from where she was standing, but she knew that the fire was bigger than it seemed.

"Fine," she said, avoiding the lion's purple eyes.

"Great, you'll like it! My name's Jelani by the way."

"Hmm, well my name's Raisa."

"Be-yoo-tee-full name!"

"Oh stop,"

She trailed behind her new pride-mate as he led her to his own pride, which consisted of another much older male lion, and two familiar faces.

"Taj! Latifa!" Raisa squealed in delight as she rushed for her older siblings.

Latifa and Taj, who were just as relieved to see her, gave her long, loving embraces and nuzzles.

"We couldn't find you! We feared the worst happened. Do you know where Mom is?"

"I-I haven't seen her."

Suddenly, everything got silent.

"But don't worry, she's probably coming right now."

"Let's go find her." Jelani proposed.

"What?" Taj ejaculated. "No way! It's too dangerous!"

"Fine, then we'll just go by ourselves." Jabari scoffed, turning away to the area that Raisa and her siblings had previously escaped from.

"Take me with you, Jelani!" Raisa exclaimed as she bounded for the tan-furred young adult.

"Raisa, you aren't going anywhere with these lions!" Latifa scolded. "You barely know them."

"Jeez, calm down, _**Mom**_." Jelani chided.

The two males erupted in laughter and Latifa grew red in the face from anger and humiliation.

"I'm going too!" she erupted. "I have a bad feeling about these two."

"That's the spirit, doll." Jabari said jokingly as he, Jelani and Raisa bounded towards the fiery lands.

Taj, who didn't like being all alone in the lands he barely knew, sped for the quartet, uncertain of what fate was in store for the group of young lions.

"You know," Jelani said in a whisper to his male friend. "You should get to know that other girl."

"Why? She sounds like a total control freak."

"Don't judge a book by its cover," Jelani winked. "Take a chance, she's pretty cute."

* * *

><p>All eyes fastened onto the growing belly of Kiara as the cub's arrival neared. Vitani was too angered to even acknowledge her presence, and the rest of them only scorned at her and her unborn cub as she rested in the lair. Keisha was sitting up right by her aunt, looking on with disgust as her mother tried to ignore the negative attention. Kiara felt like sprinting out of there and bursting into tears, but Nala put a paw on her shoulder and gave her a supportive nod.<p>

"Be strong…" she whispered. "It gets better."

Kiara swallowed hard, and gave an uncertain smile to her mother before she looked off towards her former subjects. The pain of being the most hated lioness in her pride was too much for her to handle. She got up and all eyes were on her.

"I know you guys must really hate me now," she started in a shaky voice. "But, I need to tell you, that the only reason I did _any_ of those things with Vuta was because I wanted you guys to have a better life."

"This is better?" Keisha retorted suddenly. "I now have to share my blood with that murderer's child!"

"Stay mad at me, Keisha." Kiara faltered. "But the cub did nothing to deserve your scorn."

"You're right! **It's your fault!**"

The other lionesses gasped and conversed with one another under their breaths.

"The only way you could _save_ our pride was to have Vuta _**have his way**_ with you?" the young lion inquired sharply. "I used to look up to you! You were my idol! **And then you do this?**"

"Keisha! Don't talk to your mother like that!" Nala scolded coldly.

"You're an embarrassment to me, and an embarrassment to your pride, Kiara!" continued the brown-furred youth. "If you weren't my mother, I swear I'd kill you on the spot."

"**SHUT UP, KEISHA!**" a voice boomed suddenly like a crack of lightning. "**JUST SHUT UP!**"

Despite the loudness of the voice, she seemed to be the only one that heard it. She turned back and saw the source of the voice—a skinny golden lioness about her age.

"Zarina?" Keisha gasped. "What do you want?"

"I want you to stop being a brat!" she scowled back. "Why are you like this?"

"But Zarina! She—."

"She made a mistake, Keisha." Zarina interjected. "She only did those things because she loved you. She didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Would you rather her let Vuta kill you too?"

Keisha grew silent as her celestial twin narrowed her eyes in anger.

"That's right! He was going to _**kill**_ you, but Kiara sacrificed her body, and her marriage to Dad to save you. **Sometimes you can be so ignorant that it makes me sick!**"

"Wow…" the brown lioness said dolefully after a long and thoughtful pause. "I'm a real prick, aren't I?"

"Keisha, I think it'd be best if you apologize to Mom and try to convince the others to become one again."

"You're right," Keisha said with a determined grin splashed across her creamy muzzle.

Zarina faded back into the afterlife and Keisha rushed back to the pride. She bounded towards her mother, who had tears rolling down her face, and had Nala's right foreleg slung across to the furthest of her two shoulder blades.

"Mom…" she whispered, approaching the miserable mother-to-be. "I'm sorry…sorry for everything."

The last of Kiara's tears slid down her cheeks and onto the parched grounds and the sides of her mouth curled meagerly as her daughter latched onto her, her own eyes fighting to shed tears of guilt.

"I've been acting like such a selfish jerk lately," she said, still embracing her. "I didn't realize that you actually did that stuff to help us."

"It's alright, Keisha." Kiara sung in a motherly voice. "I love you, and even though this cub in my belly shares blood with Vuta, I will convince him to shed the evil he's inherited and he'll be a fellow Pridelander like us. And we'll all come to terms with it sooner and later, and all will be well."

"I just hope so…"

"What do you mean?" crooned Kiara as she stroked her daughter's head with her free paw.

"We got one little problem…" the brown lioness pointed out, breaking free from the embrace.

She turned to see the countless faces of those who turned against her once the news was told. But something was very different. Vitani and her followers were upright. Vitani approached her, an apologetic smile meagerly spread across her muzzle.

"Forgive us, Kiara." she said, bowing before her. "I was so distraught over what happened for the past few years, that it kept bottling up inside me and eating at me emotionally. And once Jelani died, I…I just lost it. I really didn't mean anything I said, Kiara. Please, I'd like it if we were one pride again."

"Then so be it," Kiara smiled at her sister-in-law.

From a higher, secluded ledge, Zira and Vuta served as spectators to the scene.

"Damnit!" Zira spat as she clawed the rocky protrusion in frustration. "She ruined _**EVERYTHING**_. She's always in the w—."

"Hush!" Vuta snarled in annoyance as he gazed with a devilish intent at the youthful brown lioness who assisted her mother as she walked away. Despite the age difference, he couldn't help but notice even the teeniest similarities that she shared with Kiara. How she walked with such poise and how assertive she was. On top of that, she was gorgeous. She'd make a wonderful queen in his reign of tyrannical terror.

"_She's a keeper—just like her mother,_" he thought to himself as he and Zira retracted from their viewing ledge. "_As soon as this old bag of bones drops dead, it'll be my mission to make her mine. I swear on it._"

* * *

><p>"Oh no, this can't be…" Latifa said mournfully with tears rolling down her cheeks.<p>

Like they promised, they searched the ashes for any signs of Jamilla or Kovu. They arrived with glimmers of hope, praying that they'd find their mother and Kovu unharmed. But their happiness soon dropped when in front of them, Jamilla was pinned under a tree, dead from the black smoke that filled her lungs.

"No!" Raisa wept immensely. "Mom! Please! **Get up! We need you!**"

She placed a paw onto her face, which was stained in fallen ashes and hoped for a slight hint of life. But when she fell back down with a thud, she lost it and latched onto her sister and they both let out choked sobs of sorrow, knowing that they'd lost both of their parents in their very early stages of adulthood. Though they didn't know her, Jelani and Jabari could feel the sister's remorse spill into their own conscience and they couldn't help but feel sorry for the two.

"It'll be alright, girls." Jelani said, brushing a paw against their backs.

"Come on," Taj insisted. "We need to get out of here."

Being the oldest child of the trio, and the only male, he put up a front, and didn't physically reveal how much Jamilla's death had affected him.

"She was all we had," Raisa said faintly as more tears welled in her eyes.

A figure appeared in front of them, hidden by the dimly lit forests and the deadly, but tame smoke that still wafted in the aftermath of the catastrophe.

"You're not alone," the masculine voice said, revealing his true identity.

The familiar brown furred, black maned lion's sudden appearance created reactions of all kinds. Latifa and Raisa were overjoyed and latched onto him, knowing that he survived the ordeal, and Taj was relieved knowing the father figure he had come to know and love was unscathed.

"Kovu, I can't believe you're alive!" Raisa squealed in delight.

"Kovu…?" Jelani inquired, his usually mellow eyes widening in surprise. "Uncle Kovu? Wow! It's been years, everyone thinks you're—."

But this Kovu was different. As Jelani approached him, Kovu snarled at him, his teeth bared ruthlessly at the possible threat.

"K-Kovu, it's me—Jelani—**your nephew!**" the young tan lion said. "Don't you remember me?"

"You got five seconds to get outta here before I rip you apart, Kid." the brown lion threatened, nearing his sister's bewildered cub.

"If you're gonna get to Jelani, you gotta get through me first." Jabari hissed, barricading his dumbfounded friend.

Kovu roared impatiently and raised a paw at him, ready to strike when Raisa bolted for them to stop.

"Kovu, these are our friends." she insisted. "They won't hurt us."

Kovu's face softened, but he still gave Jelani and Jabari looks of uneasiness before he turned away and headed for sanction.

"Come now," he advised. "We need to abandon these lands, and start a new life."

He marched ahead, and Taj followed. Jelani and Jabari were unsure of following him, which caught Raisa and Latifa's attention.

"Come on!" the oldest of the girls said between grit teeth.

"Are you insane?" Jelani said, keeping his voice down. "He's batshit crazy!"

"Yeah!" Jabari added. "That lunatic was about to kill us five minutes ago!"

"Jelani, he's not gonna hurt you guys," Raisa insisted, placing her paws over Jelani's in certainty. "I promise."

After deep thought, Jelani finally said,

"Alright, I'll go. But if he tries to pull that crap again, I'll have no choice but to unleash my fiery wrath onto him."

"Oh please…"

* * *

><p><strong>Well here's a tardy chapter 12. Sorry guys. I had some writer's block. :P The next stories should be coming out soon! Won't happen again! :DD<strong>


	13. Chapter 13: The Birth of Kijana

**This is way overdue, and I'm sorry about that. All other stories will be updated sometime this week or maybe into next week. It's my little bro's birthday tomorrow, so I don't know if my family's throwing a party for him or not. So, just give it time. I promise they'll all be up by next Tuesday certainly. Now onto my reviewers: **

**- LongLiveCubZira: She doesn't turn good again, sorry.. :(**

**- can'thinkofasuitableusername: Thanks! And your story is great. I'll stay tuned! **

**- burningbrain: TY!**

**- comicfan209: Thanks! In the original, she only talked to her once, but in this new version, I made it like yeah…sorta a sixth sense. And yeah, Kovu's a major d-bag to Jelani. Hopefully, someone can bash some sense into him. And Vuta is still a sicko. Glad you liked it. :)**

**Warning: There's a pretty graphic scene in here later (probably last-half) in the chapter! Just a heads-up for all those squeaky-clean readers: FLEE FLEEEEEE!. **

* * *

><p>~13~<p>

The months flew by without any further events of concern. Summer finally arrived in the Pridelands, but with no rain in the previous spring seasons, the land died, and there was nothing but the now deteriorated waterhole and the feeble rays of the African sun that managed to filter through the dark, rolling clouds of gray. Despite the harsh conditions, the pride stuck together through the ordeal and tried to make the best of their predicament. During the sticky months off summer, Keisha stayed rooted by her mother's side. As her due date approached, she often found herself stuck supporting herself against a rock wall that jutted from the ground.

"Is he coming already?" she would fret every time the golden lioness shifted her body.

"Don't worry," Kiara would always speak with a smile of assurance and love. "I've bore two cubs already. I know how it's done."

Her forelegs brushed against her enlarged belly and she purred warmly as she reminisced back to the time when Keisha and Zarina were newborn cubs and how much fun she had caring for them.

"You don't have to stay around boring old me," the golden lioness insisted, noticing her young daughter's restlessness.

"I don't want to leave you, Mom." the brown lioness scowled. "I can't trust anyone. Just one wrong move and it could jeopardize the health of you and—."

"Just go," demanded Kiara in a playful demeanor, pushing her daughter onto all fours. "You're too young to be worrying about this type of stuff."

She obliged and embraced her mother once more before departing.

"How can I think of _fun_ at a time like this?" she thought.

"Keisha!" someone hollered out when she bounded for the rock's stairway.

She turned around swiftly, and a timid smile crept across her face when she saw Gamba steadily approaching her.

"Where are you off to?" he purred, inching himself towards her for a quick nuzzle.

"_**Stop it!**_" she snapped, her voice fiery yet cautious. "No one can see us like this."

"Well why not, beautiful?"

"_Because_, my family wants to rip you to shreds in case you haven't noticed."

"Fine," the male scoffed. "Let's go somewhere a little more…I don't know…_secluded_."

"Well geez, don't say it like that!"

"Come on!" ordered Gamba between grit teeth.

As the two young lions headed to their spot to converse, Nyoni, who perched on Fola's shoulder, shook her head in dismay and disgust.

"This is tragic," she scoffed with a hint of arrogance in her tone. "How could she_ ever_ fall for murderous scum like him?"

"Don't be so hard on him, Nyoni." Fola said in annoyance. "From what I've seen, Gamba has certainly changed his ways. Give the kid a chance."

"I still feel a bit uneasy about his kind." the magenta plumaged bird resumed, her narrow eyes fastened onto Keisha's young friend and love interest. "You can never fully trust a lion like him."

* * *

><p>"We'll stay here for the night," Kovu ordered, coming to a halt after hours of non-stop roaming.<p>

The exhausted adolescents who were a few yards behind him dropped to the ground, their chests heaving with effort.

"Geez, Kovu." chided Jelani. "We must've walked through all of Africa by now."

Kovu swiftly turned around to his newly crowned nemesis and bore his razor sharp teeth at him.

"If you knew any better, you'd shut that fat trap of yours," he snarled ruthlessly.

"Sorry, Uncle K—."

"I'm not your uncle. I could never associate with a family that bore someone as dimwitted and foolish as you. You will address me as _**Kovu**_…understood?"

"Sorry U-un-unc—err…I mean Kovu." winced the tan furred lion.

"Good…" concluded the elder of the two lions as he turned away and rooted himself next to a thick tree to sleep. "Get a good night's sleep while you can. We'll be off again by sunrise."

"Okay, Kovu." Raisa said cheerfully. "Good night!"

Kovu smiled at the girl as he turned his head the opposite way and got some well-needed rest. Raisa and the others padded towards a lively green area with a thicket of shrubs and a few trees as well as a boulder that jutted from the slightly damp grassy terrain. While the others claimed sleeping spots, Raisa noticed in the corner of her eye that Jelani was looking at the moon, thinking to himself.

"Jelani!" she cried, padding towards him.

"What do you want?" he scoffed.

"What's wrong?" his female friend asked him worriedly.

"I don't think I can live here anymore. It's only a matter of time before he kills me."

"He's just a bit confused. I'm sure he'll snap out of it."

"If he hasn't got over it in two years, he won't get over it now!" huffed Jelani, who tried to storm off, but felt a force rooted onto his tail.

"Please don't go," Raisa spoke solemnly. "Tell me more."

"More about what?"

"About your story."

"Are you sure you want to hear it? It can get pretty long."

"Tell me all of it."

After sighing to himself, he turned his head towards his female friend, and he spoke of all three generations of love, drama, and tragedy.

* * *

><p>"So, I saw your taking very good care of your mom," spoke Gamba as he slowed down his pace and rested in front of his female companion. "She's really lucky to have a daughter like you."<p>

"You can never be too careful," Keisha responded nonchalantly, gazing up at the faint navy blue sky. "We don't need something else happening."

"True…"

A long silenced enveloped the two in an awkward atmosphere.

"Gamba, I don't get it," Keisha spoke faintly. "How could two of the most remorseless creatures in all of Africa rear someone like you?"

"Well, they aren't my parents…"

"Who were?"

"I…I don't know." the male answered solemnly. "All I know is that my mother died after giving birth to me, and that's why Vuta and Zira took me in."

"Oh geez, Gamba, I'm so sorry." Keisha said ruefully as she brushed her cheek against his developing brown mane.

"Don't be," assured the young lion. "You didn't know. Because of what they did, I think—in a way—I'll always have sort of a soft spot for them."

Keisha's eyes strayed from his and stared at the ground, deep in her thoughts.

"_I shouldn't be feeling this way about him._" she thought.

"Do you ever think about them?" she asked aloud, her paw inching closer towards his.

"All the time actually. I wonder how everything would've played out if Vuta and Zira never took me in. But there is a positive in all of this?"

"What?" asked Keisha in utter disbelief.

"I would've probably never met you,"

Keisha jumped in shock and fought to look him in the eye, but she couldn't.

"I know we don't have such a good past, but just give me a chance, Keisha. I don't want us fighting. I want…I want us to be together."

"I do too." Keisha responded faintly. "But what about the others?"

"So what about the others? Keisha, when are you gonna start making decisions for yourself?"

"Well I'm sorry for feeling reluctant about having feelings for _**a murderer**_!"

"If you really feel that way, maybe you should just go!"

"**Fine then!**"

Once again, Gamba's plan blew up in his face and he stood there, a flurry of emotions taking over. Keisha, on the other hand, dashed back to Pride Rock. The lioness were out again, possibly hunting for tonight's dinner. Nyoni was also absent, but she usually flew off to Rafiki's tree for simple chitchat on slow days. She slipped into the den, hoping to find her mother, and quickly tried to retreat from the near empty den when she hadn't caught sight of her; but suddenly, she was ordered to stop when a familiar lion of brown fur barricaded her from the exit.

"Well hello there," chuckled the ever so familiar voice that made her shiver.

"What do you want, Vuta?" she scoffed. "I'm really not in the mood."

"You have such a feisty personality…just like your mother."

"Just what are you getting at?"

"Can you do _other _things like her too?"

Keisha eyes widened in shock and she emitted a scoff a sneer of revulsion swept across her young, pretty face before she turned away,

"You're disgusting!" she grimaced. "**Get away from me!**"

"You don't understand Keisha," chuckled the tyrant as he wrapped his paw around her tiny neck, slamming her to the ground. "I _always_ get what I want."

"W-why are you doing this?" she wheezed, hot, scanty tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Your mother has lost her luster, and now, I shall move from her to _you_."

"Please, Vuta. What if she sees us like this?"

"No chance, she's off to the fields with that stooge bird of hers."

"But what about Zira—y-your wife?"

"Who cares what she thinks? She'll just turn to dust any minute now."

For a moment she felt bad that her grandmother had associated herself with a lion who didn't care about her well-being, or didn't care that she knew that he was mating with all these other lionesses right under her nose, but before she could ponder further, a painful tearing sensation overtook her body. She tried to scream, but it got caught in her throat and escaped as a muffled groan of pain as her king chuckled sinisterly as he looked down at the scarred lion. Some of the hyenas looked at her. A good handful at them with remorse painted across their dirt brown faces. Keisha's pain intensified as Vuta quickened pace and the union quickly separated once Vuta got what he needed. The relief quickly flowed through the lioness' veins, but the thought of the same lion that robbed her life, her family, and now, her purity, left her in tears.

"Don't cry, my pet," he said, licking her on the ear. "It will hurt less in time."

"**Go to hell!**" she blurted out in choked sobbing.

Vuta suavely left the cave, snapping at the hyenas who watched him exit. They quickly departed as well—all but one. She approached her, placing a paw next to her tear-stained face. Keisha looked up, and caught eyes with the hyena.

"W-What?" she stammered in shock, impeding the next few tears that stood in her eyes. "What did you come to do? Mock me? Make jokes?"

"No…" she crooned, her maw slowly curling into a melancholy frown. "I'm so sorry that Vuta did this to you."

"Why do you care?"

"I've been watching you for a while now, Keisha. What Vuta and Zira's doing is repulsive, and I want to help—but I just can't."

Her paw slowly shifted to the right, revealing her belly, swollen with life.

"I really want to make peace—if…if that's alright with you?"

The corners of the lioness' lips turned into a feeble smile and she said,

"Well, what's your name?"

"My name is Cree."

The two new friends nodded at each other and Keisha finally brought herself up, her legs shaking like jelly. Suddenly, Nyoni swooped into the den, a look of worry splashed across her face.

"Keisha, come quick!" she squawked. "Your mother is in labor!"

"What?" the lioness gaped in shock. "I told her not to go outside! Where is she?"

"She's out in the field right by Rafiki's tree."

"Well who's watching her?"

"These two grateful lions who thankfully found us right when it started—."

"Are you crazy? You let a bunch of strangers deal with my pregnant mother?"

"Enough backtalk, young lioness! Now hurry!" scolded Nyoni as she dashed out through the cave.

Keisha quickly followed her, while Cree, who was unable to walk far distances, stayed put. After about ten minutes of running, Nyoni finally slowed down her pace and she landed right in front of Kiara. Her face was damp with sweat and she had a slight tremor—but she was fine.

"Mom!" Keisha spoke with a whoosh of relief as she nuzzled her. "I was so worried about you."

"I'm alright," smiled an exhausted Kiara. "Would you like to see Kijana—your new brother?"

Keisha nodded, tears welled in her teal colored eyes as Kiara transferred the cub into her daughter's arms and got some well-needed rest. In the crook of her forearms, the male cub looked up at her with his glossy royal red irises. His fur was a dark tannish mixture of Kiara and Vuta's pelts, and just a bit darker than Keisha's own.

"Hey there, Little Guy." she cooed. "I'm your big sister—and you might've came at a bad time, but I love you and I'll never let anything hurt you."

The brown lioness was jolted up quickly when she heard someone running towards them.

"Gamba?" she asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"I heard screaming and I got worried," he panted, his head hung. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine."

She focused on the two lions: one older male, and a female that looked just a bit younger than him.

"Thank you so much for what you've done for my mother," she smiled as she approached them. "How can I ever repay you?"

"There's no need," the male assured, feeling a bit threatened.

"Well if you insist…besides, Vuta and Zira—."

"Wait, **Vuta and **_**Zira**_?" the lioness inquired, her green eyes widened in surprise.

"Ummm…yeah." Gamba shrugged. "They're our king and queen."

The male and female stood in shock as their eyes fells onto the young lion.

"_Yangu mungu_, Azi, it _is_ him." the lioness whispered to her mate, her voice breaking and tears rolling down her cheeks.

"He looks so much like her." Azi replied, his voice a few decibels lower.

"Should we take him back with us?"

"No! It's too dangerous! They'll come after the three of us."

"Ummm…are you guys okay?" Gamba inquired, slightly creeped out.

Without another word, both Azi and his mate fled the scene, leaving Keisha and Gamba in confusion and bewilderment. Keisha's attention reared back to Kijana once he fussed and squirmed around in Keisha's grip.

"Come, let's take him home," she proposed, grabbing the cub by the nape of his neck.

"But what about Kiara?"

"She's too tired. She'll walk home by herself. Besides, Rafiki's right around the corner."

Gamba agreed and they headed back to Pride Rock. Once they got there, Zira lurked out of the shadows, her evil red eyes fixed onto the brown ball of fur caught in Keisha's muzzle.

* * *

><p>"So that bastard's been born…" she spat, with a hint of jealousy in her tone.<p>

Keisha snarled angrily at her, but Gamba held her back to prevent any further conflict.

"Touch him and it'll be the last thing you do, Zira." she rued vengefully at her grandmother, who didn't seem at all fazed by her threats.

Zira chuckled to herself before she left her grandchildren and padded for her mate.

"What am I going to do?" Keisha sighed as she stroked the silky smooth fur of the purring cub. "If I let him stay around here with her, he'll be dead by winter."

"She'll get over it, hopefully." Gamba assured, trying to make the lioness feel better.

"**No!** There's no getting over anything in Zira. She's lived through three generations, murdering whatever gets in her way—a-and trust me…if she could stay there and watch her granddaughter—her own flesh and blood—die in the hands of her minions…she'll do the same to Kijana."

"So what do you have in mind?"

Keisha bit her lip unsurely. Knowing how much of a soft spot Gamba had for Zira, despite all they've put him through, she was reluctant to tell him her true intentions.

"Just forget everything," she said.

Gamba complied, knowing he couldn't possibly get her to confess, so he quickly left. Keisha retreated into the den once her brother started fussing again and she lay with him. She nestled her tightly in her arms and she pressed her muzzle against his creamy underbelly.

"I can't let her hurt you, _Ndugu_." she spoke quietly. "I will do anything to protect you—_even if I have to __**kill my own grandmother in the process**__._"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter was supposed to be longer, but I didn't wanna keep you guys waiting any longer. The next update should be a week or two from now. Those who are also reading ITN, that story will probably be the next one updated, so tune in! Anyway, enjoy your summer guys. <strong>

**Cya. **


	14. Chapter 14: What Could've Been

**Here's Chapter 14 for you guys!**

**- lionkingfan: They won't know about Keisha and Vuta for a while. But I figured Kovu would feel a bit threatened, on account of he nearly lost his life by weird hunters, so yeah, he probably just thinks Jelani and Jabari are threats to his **_**pride**_**. Plus, I wanted to make it a bit ironic that he thinks Jelani is too stupid to be related to him by blood, when they actually are. But it just made him sound like a dick. Thanks for reading! **

**- Emily642: Thanks! :)**

**- Ke-Ke Shan: Thanks! And I love the name Vienna. **

**- comicfan209: Yep. Lmaoo. Time to get my machete on this a-hole. xD And Kovu does need a good slap. Lol. **

**- TLK Nerd: Thanks. And log out of FF next time you come over, jerk. Lmaoo. **

**- can'thinkofasuitableusername: Haha thanks! If a lot of people didn't want to hack Vuta before this chapter, they sure do now! XD Thanks for reading! And awesome story! **

**Anywhere, here goes. :P **

* * *

><p>~14~<p>

The weeks of summer flew by as quickly as they arrived. The days were rather eventless. The herds became less and less frequent and the pride became larger. Since the incident, Keisha avoided Vuta at any chance she could get. Kiara noticed her daughter's sudden change in demeanor and raised a few questions. But when Keisha denied that she was going through a problem, she shrugged it off and tended to the newest of her brood. Whenever her thoughts began to overwhelm her, she looked to Cree for a brief consultation. In her arms were two dark-furred pups, both boys, born about a week after Kijana's arrival.

"When will you tell them?" asked Cree solemnly. "How long do you think they'll sit there and watch you like this?"

"I don't know," scoffed the young adult. "But I can't tell them. Did you see how they reacted when they found out my mother was pregnant? Another fellow pride member succumbed to his advances—gah…they'll never speak to me again."

"Look," retorted the female hyena, her eyes narrowed and fastened onto her lioness friend. "What Vuta did…i-it wasn't your fault. He's a sick bastard who likes to take advantage of his strength by bullying you guys. If I knew he and Zira were like this, I would've left long ago."

"Well what's stopping you?"

"I have two young cubs. I'd never survive out there alone. Besides, my mother is very sick. That's the whole reason we came here in the first place."

She sucked her lower lip into her mouth as she looked down at her sons. One of them was awake and fighting to toddle towards the others, while the other stayed asleep, his faint snores in sync with his slowly rising stomach.

"Keisha?" a soft voice broke from a few yards away.

Keisha's ear perked at the sound of her name and she looked off to the source—Nyoni.

"What is it, Bird?" scoffed the former princess in annoyance.

"I was hoping to have a talk with you. You know…woman-to-woman."

"God, Nyoni, this isn't one of those facts of life speeches again, is it?"

"No." scoffed the bird. "I just need to speak with you, **NOW**!"

"Ugh…fine."

Keisha flashed a quick smile at Cree before she lifted herself and headed out the exit with the bird perched on her shoulder.

* * *

><p>"That's one heck of a story," Raisa spoke breathlessly once she heard the story of the Pridelands. "Now I really believe that Kovu was your uncle and you're not just some crazy lunatic."<p>

"Was it really that hard to believe?" the tan lion inquired, a smug look on his face. "After all, we do share the same beautiful features—don't we _Raisa_?"

"Shut up, you!" laughed the young lioness as she bounded towards her roused siblings. "Now come with me so we can wake up the others."

"Right behind you, gorgeous."

As he readied to follow her, he felt a large shadow cast above him. He swiftly turned about face and he saw Kovu glaring down at him.

"Morning, Kovu." he said nonchalantly.

"Lollygagging already, are we?" snided the chocolate lion.

"Shove it," Jelani scoffed. "Raisa and I were the first ones up."

"**And why's that?**"

"Because I was up all night telling her about _**our**_ pride!"

"Look, kid. I don't know who you are. And frankly, I would've killed you on the spot if Raisa didn't stop me. So back off."

"Funny, you care more about them then your friggin' flesh and blood."

Jelani's snide remark got under the lion's skin, and he was ready to strike, but regained his composure and just glared at him instead.

"Come on, now!" he ordered. "We should start leaving now."

The rest complied and Jabari and Raisa caught up to Jelani.

"He's still not budging," scoffed the adolescent. "What do I do?"

"Maybe you should bring him to Pride Rock…you know…to jog his memory?" Raisa suggested.

"Babe, you're a genius," he answered with a chuckle. "But we have this 'sunnuvabitch king who's gonna kill us and Kovu, and probably you guys too if we dare step foot in the Pridelands. _But_…I guess it wouldn't hurt if he got a good view of the place."

"That's the spirit!" cheered the lioness as she called for Kovu to stop.

"What do you know, Jabari? Not only is she incredibly hot, she's brilliant too." smirked the younger of the two males.

"Keep your hormones on a leash, kid." Jabari scowled. "Give off one hint and Kovu'll rip you head off—."

"Speaking of the devil…"

Jelani whipped his head back up and noticed Kovu approaching him.

"Raisa said you had something to tell me…" he started.

"Yeah," responded Jelani coolly. "I know this _awesome_ place where we can crash. The water's good and everything."

"As if I'd trust you with five lives?" laughed Kovu arrogantly.

"Let me finish, Kovu." Jelani interjected in annoyance. "Anyway, I figure I send you back to where you came from and help jog your memory."

"I bet it won't work."

"If it does, you're gonna stop acting like a dick."

"And if it doesn't…"

"Simple. You can kill me and my friend here."

"Yep," Jabari added with confidence. "**Wait…WHAT?**"

"You've got yourself a deal, kid." Kovu said with a menacing smile before he turned away. "Lead the way."

"Gladly,"

* * *

><p>"So…what did you want to tell me so bad?" inquired the brown lioness.<p>

"Keisha," Nyoni sighed. "Ever since the incident, I've seen you blossom from a frightened young cub into…well the smart and brave young woman you are today."

"This is what you wanted to tell me?"

"No…" faltered the bird. "I just wanted to say that…well, the other day…Fola and I saw you with _him_."

Keisha froze in her spot and Nyoni glided on ground level, looking up at the younger of the duo.

"I assure you that Gamba's no more than a mere stranger to me." the lioness spoke defensively. "And our relationship will not intensify from there."

"If you say so…but Keisha, I just want you to know that if you actually _are_ falling for him, you're way too good for…well…someone like _**that**_."

"What are you implying?"

"Goddamn, Keisha! Have you gone blind or mad? He's a cold-blooded murderer!"

"He didn't murder anyone, Nyoni." the lioness retorted.

"You never know!" the hornbill shot back, losing her patience. "Give him the slightest chance and he'll just come right behind your back and slit your throat."

"**Enough, Nyoni!** Now do me a favor and stop meddling in my love life. And if you can't do that, then maybe Gamba was right and I shouldn't be here anymore!"

"Keisha, come back!" ordered the magenta bird.

"**Shove it!**"

Annoyed and frustrated, Nyoni flew over to Rafiki's tree to blow off some steam. The aged mandrill was deep in thought as his fingers danced across his tree and streaks of bright and flamboyant colors forming a painting. Nyoni swooped into the hollow.

"Too busy for a visitor?" she asked modestly.

"You know ol' Rafikee!" he mandrill laughed as he darted to the hollow's opening.

"You're a billion years old, but you move like a cheetah." laughed the hornbill.

"Ehehe, come here, Nyonee." he chuckled, wiping the remnants onto the trunk and sitting next to her. "Now tell me what bothers you..."

"I'm worried about Keisha, she shouldn't be falling for that prince. He's a bad influence."

"Silly bird," he cackled. "Keesha ees all grown up now. Let her settle these problems haself. And if things go bad, then she'll learn and move on. Very strong girl."

Nyoni nodded in approval to Rafiki's words. Now she regretted telling her off right before she arrived. Meanwhile, Keisha stormed off to the fields to find Gamba, who usually spent time there by himself in the noon. This time, she caught him, horsing around with Obi while Nama drifted in and out of boredom, basking on top of a rock. Gamba had considerably grown a lot larger than his hyena friends, so he always had an unfair advantage.

"Gamba!" she cried out a few yards away.

Obi was getting ready to pounce onto his opponent, but lost his target once Gamba eagerly walked towards his love interest. The hyena instead, tumbled in the withered stalks, a mouthful or dirt muffling his impatient groan.

"Hey," smiled the lion generously.

"Gamba," Keisha whispered. "I want to do it now."

"D-do what?"

"I want to run away with you?"

"What, why'd you change your mind all of a sudden?"

"No one here understands our love."

"Well if you say so, Keish."

"**Hey!**" Obi moaned. "What's the hold-up, Gamby?"

"Yeah, since when was your little _do-and-ditch_ buddy more important than our friendship?" scowled Nama.

Keisha's ears perked and Gamba's heart skipped a beat as Nama said those words.

"Can I help you?" she scoffed with a cocked eyebrow when she noticed Keisha glare at her.

"Excuse me, stooge. But Gamba loves me and he'd never do anything like that to hurt me." The brown lioness insisted.

"Well that's what he told us!" Nama retorted. "And trust me, he likes us a whole lot better than you, _**loser**_!"

Keisha could feel tears fighting their way through her eyes. She prayed Nama was just being a jerk as usual, but Gamba looked flushed and embarrassed.

"Is it true what they're saying?" she wept.

"I'm sorry, Keish." he sighed in response. "But you gotta believe me, I only did that because I didn't want them to know how much feelings I had for you."

"And this is how you hide your feelings? _**By hurting mine!**_"

"Keish, I—."

"Get away from me!" she roared ferociously. "Nyoni was right. There's no changing someone like you."

"Keisha, please!"

"Leave me alone!" she shouted once more before she was out of earshot.

Gamba looked at her as she left him in the dust.

"Don't worry, Gamby." Nama sung. "You're way too good for that tramp anyway."

"Yeah," Obi added. "Rumor has it, she messed around with Vuta the other day, right before that little brat was born."

"What?" Gamba gasped in horror.

"It's true," Nama said with disgust. "You really gotta be careful who you trust. Can never be too careful—especially with girls like her."

"_This can't be true,_" he thought to himself. "_None of it makes any sense. She despises the lion. So why would she go screw around with him?—_."

"Come on, Gamba." Obi scolded, crouching and his teeth bore. "Snap out of it!"

Gamba figured a nice afternoon playing with his friends would help him get over Keisha in no time. The quicker, the better.

* * *

><p>"We're getting closer to the Pridelands." Jabari announced as he caught eye with Pride Rock, which stood a little more than a mile away.<p>

"You sure got a real talent for stating the obvious," scoffed an annoyed Jelani.

He turned around, and the other four lions stopped when they saw him.

"Well we're here!" he beamed.

"Where's the water?" crooned Latifa.

"And the endless herds of antelope?" scowled Taj.

"Eeehhh…ummm…they _**hibernated**_." chuckled a nervous Jelani as his eyes lingered on an angry Kovu. "Well let's just try and make the best out of this situation. I'm sure everything will be back shortly!"

"This kid's a bit of a loon," Latifa said to her brother, who nodded in agreement.

"Look guys, let's just get our spots." Jelani proposed. "I think Latifa, Taj and Jabari should take the bottom part, Raisa and I will be on the second branch up…and Kovu. **Kovu, Kovu, KOVU. **Since you've **given** me such gracious hospitality in these few days, you can have the top."

"Just what are you up to?" inquired the brown lion.

"Just follow me up!" Jelani ordered.

Kovu, despite his confusion, complied and followed him up. Jabari lifted himself up there too. They rustled in the leaves, their faces peering out of the shrubs and towards the Pridelands.

"Ring a bell?" Jelani asked with a broad smile, hoping the sight of Pride Rock would bring his memory back. "This is where you used to rule before you lost your memory. You had a wife, and these two daughters. Remember _anything_?"

Kovu glowered at him and shook his head.

"Not even a little bit?"

"Nope."

"Well now what are we gonna do, Jelani?" Jabari asked between clenched teeth. "Our asses are dead if he doesn't get his memory back!"

"Easy, Jabari." Jelani replied in a hushed tone. "I've got a Plan B right up my sleeves."

"Which is—?"

Without further question, Jelani sprung from his spot and _accidentally_ kicked Kovu off the ledge of the tree.

"**What the heck?**" Jabari asked worriedly as he looked down below after he heard a loud thud and a few pained groans. "You're gonna kill him, you knucklehead!"

"I figured he'd hit his head or something." Jelani shrugged as he peered at the scene. "**FEEL ANY BETTER UNCLE KOVU?**"

"No…" groaned the brown lion. "My back is killing me, Latifa and Taj are injured, your yelling is making my ears bleed, and I'm not your _**goddamn**_ uncle for the billionth time. Now stay out of my way before I _really_ kill you idiots."

Kovu made his way to another tree, sleeping at the base this time, muttering something to himself before he buried his mane into his arms and fell asleep in the position.

"I give up," sighed Jelani. "I'm starting to think that Uncle Kovu's never gonna turn back to normal."

* * *

><p><strong>Here you go! Hope you liked it. And Kovu isn't as mean as he was before, or is he? Feel free to let me know! :)<strong>


	15. Chapter 15: Princess Turned Murderer

**New book cover! It just contrasts will all the seriousness that actually takes place in the story. But I think it's friggin' adorable, so I just put this together in a quick 5 minutes with my amateur Photoshop skills and called it a day. Oh yeah, and I updated! xD Now, onto my reviewers: **

**- FlutterShyPuff: Welcome back! It's alright if you missed a few! Thanks for reading!**

**- can'thinkofasuitableusername: Don't worry, he isn't turning evil at all, he's just in a way, kind of like how Simba was acting when the others convinced him to let Kovu into the Pridelands. **

**- lionkingfan: Thanks! **

**- comicfan209: Don't fret! He'll get over it someday. Lol. Jelani didn't actually carry them to the Pridelands to spare their lives. So he lied and said that he was carrying them to a place with endless water and food. Though the waterhole does dry up a bit in previous chapters, they haven't **_**actually**_** reached it yet. Lol. But I'll look into that plothole thing! Thanks! **

**Here goes!**

**Warning: Frequent swearing in this chapter! Just a warning!**

* * *

><p>~15~<p>

"_I just don't get it,_" Keisha thought to herself. "_He seemed so serious about what he said. I'd hate to think that all of that was a big lie._"

The moment played repeatedly in her head. She impeded the upcoming tears that welled in her green eyes. She longed for her father's soothing touch. She knew that he would've helped her through this time. He'd embrace her with a loving purr and tell her how better off she was without that menace in her life. She spun towards her sleeping mother when she saw something wriggle around in her grip. Kijana peered from his secret fort, his paws slung to its zenith across Kiara's foreleg.

"Aww, come here," Keisha said with a warm smile as she lifted the cub from the crook of Kiara's arms and into hers. "Come here, love."

Kijana purred as he nestled himself into his sister's warm body. Keisha broke from her nuzzle and noticed Zira spying from the cave's mouth. When the two met eyes, she quickly darted off. Keisha knew that Zira's desire to kill Kijana was still strong and determined to kill her if she dare set a paw on the cub. She held Kijana by the nape of his neck and slipped unnoticed behind the lioness. She took over behind a flab of rock and looked at what she was doing.

"_I can't watch this any longer,_" she hissed to Vuta. "_One more day when I have to look at that cub's face, I'll run a paw straight across it!_"

"_Temper, my queen._" Vuta said nonchalantly. "_My love, I know you're a bit envious that Kiara's produced a cub for me and you haven't, but is killing the poor little bastard the answer?_"

"**That fucking hypocrite!**" snarled Keisha under her breath.

With her hand wrapped around Kijana's body, she hid further into her refuge, still listening to the ongoing conversation.

"_Say what you want Vuta, but I don't think I can take this anymore._" the withered lioness concluded, her voice solemn and melancholy, which deeply frightened her eavesdropping granddaughter.

She turned away and Keisha leapt off before she could be noticed. She felt bad for Zira for those few minutes, but she couldn't stand there and let her kill Kijana just because she was trapped in a loveless relationship. She spotted Cree with her two pups and quickly approached her.

"Can you please watch Kijana for me for a few minutes, please?" she begged.

"What's the matter, Keisha?" Cree asked quizzically. "You look all shaken and worried."

"It's a personal matter. Just _**please**_ watch him and keep him out of trouble."

"Will do," Cree replied with a smile. "Besides Ekon and Umi love playing around with him."

Keisha gave a relieved smile and she headed quickly out of the Pridelands. She figured a way to quickly kill Zira and completely hide any evidence that she had killed her. She quickly headed to Rafiki's tree to snoop around before he could find out what she did. He usually kept various herbs in his tree for potions—some extremely toxic. She remembered one in particular he told her about when she, Zarina and Jelani were just cubs: the nzurikifo, a flower he'd often collect to grind into a potion he'd use for his various non-consumable potions. He'd always say in his funny sing-song accent how the flower was beautiful and flamboyant, and would lure those who were oblivious to its deadly secret with its beautiful appearance and sweet-smelling aroma. Once eaten, the animal would suffer from a very uncomfortable queasiness in the stomach and shortness of breath. Despite the symptoms, the process was usually very quick and not too painful. Rafiki said those who perished from the nzurikifo poisoning often looked like they fell into a peaceful slumber and never woke up. Keisha figured that poisoning Zira would eliminate any possible suspicions of murder and everyone would assume she'd just died of old age. She quickly caught a wild hare that lingered into the lands and dragged it along with her to the baobab tree.

"It's fool-proof!" the young assassin assured herself as she quietly slipped into the tree.

* * *

><p>The hollow was barren, and the aroma of crushed spices and herbs slithered into the lioness' nostrils. She quickly looked around the dimly lit tree for the flower. After a few minutes of searching, she found a bundle of them crushed into syrupy violet colored nectar poured into a hollowed out shell of fruit. She tipped the potion all over hare's chocolate-brown body, making sure no traces remained. The only part that wasn't soaked was the hind leg of the hare, which was left untouched for her survival. She quickly left the tree and headed for the Pridelands, where Zira was alone, in the back of Pride Rock, in her own personal den she liked to lay in and think to herself.<p>

"Zira," she spoke softly.

Zira perked her ears and geared her attention to the mouth of the den, scoffing in disgust at the sight of her granddaughter.

"Go away!" she spat.

"Please, Zira." the lioness sighed. "I've bought you this to you to compensate for all the pain and suffering Vuta and my mother's affairs have put on you."

Zira cocked an eyebrow, suspicious of Keisha's sudden change in personality.

"I'm quite alarmed, young one." she spoke. "But I do believe that you've changed your ways. And if not, I'm assured that you'll be dealt with the way you should and you'll get the punishment you deserve."

"I swear on my father's grave," the lioness concluded insincerely, pushing the hare towards her.

Zira took a bite, intoxicated by the immense aroma and taste of her food. Keisha's lips curled into a murderous smile as she saw the old lioness devour the carcass whole. By the time Zira noticed something was wrong, it was already too late. Keisha laughed as her throat constricted and her stomach burned.

"I knew this day would come," she hissed to her killer. "I should've known better than to trust you. But I must applaud you, child. _I always knew there was a sinister side to you._"

"**Save it.**" scowled the lioness. "And the best part is, no one will suspect a damn thing once you drop dead. You'll die without justice"

Zira snarled at her feebly. Keisha wanted to leave her die and run off, but she was too englufed in happiness knowing that the one who caused so much pain to her life was finally going to die. She hungered to watch her perish with her very own eyes.

"This is for all the shit you've put us through when you and your scumbag mate entered our lives,"

Zira's final words came out as breathless murmurs, almost in a way like Tamu's dying moments when the smoke smothered her, leaving her baby son an orphan.

"I'll see you in hell, you crooked demon." she choked.

"Can't wait," the lioness smiled, her green eyes lit with a fiery passion to kill. "Now Zira, I hope you've learned your lesson—**Karma's a bitch…AND THEN YOU DIE!**"

She held Zira by her chin and watched her struggle for breath, her eyes weak and bloodshot and her body trembling until she gave up fighting and she stayed limp in her grip. Keisha rested her head against the surface and watched her eyes close gradually.

"Good riddance, you ruthless murderer," Keisha snapped, her voice gruff with bitterness. "You won't be hurting anyone else again."

She quickly fled the scene, her worries for Kijana's welfare freed at last, but her conscience burdened by her ghastly deed. She snapped out of her killer trance and realized what she'd done. She ran quickly to the waterhole to wash away the poison from her paws and body. Once she was done, she looked down at her reflection. Her face was still plump and finely sculpted. She truly took a lot after her mother's features, and the tangled muff of hair that stood top of her head slowly diminished with age. It was amazing how she suddenly fit the profile of a cold-blooded killer.

"Father, Grandpa, Zarina, Great Kings and Queens of the Past…" she started sadly. "Please forgive me for my misdoings. I have sinned and I asked for your forgiveness and guidance in this time that I greatly need it."

She bowed her head in remorse and suddenly, she felt a presence behind her. She thought her cover was blown, but it was just Zarina again.

"You've really done it this time," she scowled.

"B-But, I did it for you!" Keisha insisted.

"That doesn't make it right. Do you even know what trouble you've gotten yourself into. What will Vuta and Gamba think once they realized you did this her?"

"**To hell with them!** One is a sick monster, and the other is not too far behind."

"What do you mean?"

"Zarina…I thought I was falling in love with him. Only to find out from his stupid hyena friends he was just using me."

"You shouldn't take them too seriously. They're babbling morons in case you haven't noticed."

"I guess…"

"Sounds like you had a lot of feelings for him."

"**Do not!**" the younger sister shot back immaturely.

Zarina raised an eyebrow, smirking playfully.

"Well…maybe a little."

"_Really now?_"

"**Okay, a lot! **But Zarina, how could this happen? How could I fall in love with _him_?"

"It happens, Keish. You may not notice it now, but Gamba feels the same way. He loves you enough to change his ways and possibly help you overthrow Vuta."

Keisha felt a bit unsure about Zarina's words, but once she saw her assuring smile, she nodded in approval and quickly sped off to find Gamba.

"Gamba! We need to talk." she cried out. "**This is serious!**"

But her exclamations were drowned out by a shrill, feminine scream that shook the kingdom.

"**She's not breathing!**" she cried out in horror.

Keisha, as well as several other lions and hyenas, bounded for the den to hear who cried out. It was Nama, Obi, and Gamba circled around Zira's lifeless body.

"She's dead," he sighed dolefully. "Her body's growing colder as we speak."

The lionesses and hyenas talked among themselves, but all activity stopped once Vuta broke between the middle of the crowd and looked at his mate.

"Zira?" he whispered, cradling her head in his paw. "Zira? **Speak to me!**"

When she didn't draw breath or speak in murmurs, Vuta knew that she was gone.

"This was no accident…" he growled fiercely as he jerked towards the lionesses. "**One of you did this!**"

Keisha's eyes shot open. Vuta was smarter than she thought he was. For a moment, she thought he was going to cry, but he kept his composure and focused his attention towards the youthful trio, who looked off in their own little crowd.

"Gamba, my boy," he ordered. "You take those two canines with you and gather up everyone: the bird, the monkey, and anyone else who isn't here. I'll find out who did this to her."

"Yes, Sir." Gamba complied, hurrying out of the den with his two friends quick behind him.

"As for the rest of you," he chuckled. "None of you are leaving. And I'll be sure that the one responsible for this is killed _**on the spot**_…"

* * *

><p><strong>Well looks like Keisha's stuck in a bit of a dilemma. Will she maintain her innocence or will she be forced to confess to the murder of Zira? Stay tuned and you'll find out!<strong>


	16. Chapter 16: Exiled!

**Chapter 16 delivered quickly for your reading pleasure. :) Now onto my awesome reviewers: **

**- lionkingfan: Thanks! **

**- comicfan209: Vuta is a major hypocrite. Why? Cause that's how he rolls. _**

**- Vitani825: You're not the only one who thinks this. O.o He'll hopefully snap out of it soon! :) Thanks for reading!**

**- can'thinkofasuitableusername: Thanks! I'm glad you liked that little trick I put in there. Looks like our sweet little Keisha turned into a killer. Well, let's see if she's found out. **

**Enjoy! **

* * *

><p>~16~<p>

Keisha bit her lip unsurely, the active little cub squirming around between her paws. She prayed Vuta would let it go and put the case to a close, but there was no stopping the fuming monarch. Many felt that this case was not needed, but Vuta stayed true to his word and vowed to find the killer of his mate.

"**This is a load of crap!**" Vitani snarled. "Why do we have to stay here and go through all this unnecessary drama when she probably just keeled over from old age?"

"Nonsense!" Vuta retorted. "She was old, but healthy. She showed no signs of weakness."

"This is ridiculous!" Nala cried. "Vuta, we demand to be let go now!"

"Anyone who leaves the premises will be killed immediately."

The pride members reluctantly complied and didn't move from the crowded den. Zira's body leaned against the wall of the den, ready to be buried in the next few days or so. While Vuta paced, deep in thought, Gamba burst into the cave.

"We found them!" he panted.

"Good, my son," he smirked. "Now let's begin, shall we?"

"But Vuta, how could we have possibly killed her?" Fola inquired. "There's not a scratch on her! It's _**obvious**_ she died of old age. **No doubt about it!**"

"She was perfectly healthy just a few hours ago, this can't be possible—it just can't be!"

Keisha was confident that her involvement in the murder would go unnoticed, when suddenly, Obi and Nama sprang into the middle of the commotion.

"Just a minute, Vuta." the male hyena intervened. "When we rounded up the shaman and the majordomo's daughter at the baobab tree, the monkey said he found something there."

He pushed the old mandrill forward and he ambled towards the middle of the crowd.

"**Speak, ape.**" Vuta ordered loudly.

Rafiki seemed the least fazed by Vuta or his threats, and he said nothing but held up a shell of fruit, stained in blue liquid and completely empty.

"Get this garbage out of my face!" growled the impatient king, swatting the empty bowl out of the mandrill's hands.

"You don't understand," Rafiki scolded. "Dees is not just any bowl, it had a very special flower in it."

"Go on…"

"When eaten, dees flower will poison the body and the result can be—_lethaal_."

Everyone gasped in shock. Keisha leaned towards the rock, scared and confused, pondering the fact that Vuta might actually realize she was the one who committed the crimes.

"So she didn't die from natural causes," Gamba concluded. "She was poisoned…"

"But who would poison her?" Kiara inquired.

"Obviously someone who had enough knowledge to know that if consumed, this toxin could kill." Vuta responded, his eyes fastened on Rafiki.

"**Why'd you do it, you old bag of bones?**" Nama hissed.

"We oughta slit your throat here right now—." Obi added.

"Wait just a minute you filthy canine!" Nyoni interjected in frustration. "Rafiki was with me at the grasslands since the morning! We heard someone scream and we figured someone was hurt, so we headed back to the tree to get first aid and by the time we arrived, you and your little mischievous friends showed up!"

"Besides, how could Rafiki have managed to poison Zira, and then quickly return to the scene once Gamba showed up?" asked Kandi.

"It's entirely possible," Vuta roared in denial.

"That's where you're wrong." Kiara interrupted. "Rafiki would be far too weak to carry a full-grown lioness like Zira to the cave to die. And even if he _didn't_, it would still take a while getting to his tree to get the poison, hurry to Pride Rock and go back to stage the whole thing."

"**So we're innocent!**"

The others nodded in agreement sure that the hornbill and mandrill were not the ones who had killed Zira.

"But if they didn't, then who did?" asked Gamba quizzically. "They'd have to know that the flower was poisonous _and_ they'd have to find a way to carry it without getting any in their mouths or body."

The crowd murmured to themselves again, and suddenly, Vuta sprung another idea.

"**It was you!**" boomed the king pointing to Vitani.

"**What the hell's gotten into you?**" Vitani roared. "How could I have possibly done it!"

"I don't know how, but I remember on the night of Jelani's death that how I'd be sorry once you found out what happened to him—which was pretty foolish since _I_ wasn't responsible for his death."

"In addition to that, we found a carcass right next to her." Gamba added in defense. "The only one who could catch an animal that quick and foil a plot that fast is _**you**_, Vitani!"

"You're crazy, boy!" scowled the lioness. "I had nothing to do with that witch's murder!"

"She's right!" Fola said in Vitani's favor. "She was with me, Nala, and my mother lounging in the den. We didn't leave until we heard Nama cry out!"

Gamba narrowed his eyes at Vitani before he turned away.

"It seems all of our credible leads have gone cold." he spoke gruffly. "Who could've _**possibly**_ killed her then?"

"I'll tell you who!" Nama shouted out of nowhere. "It was **CREE**!"

Cree jumped in shock, as did the others.

"**Why would you accuse me?**" she asked in horror.

"**We're not stupid, Cree!**" Obi retorted. "Ever since you came in this pride, you've been rebelling against Vuta and Zira. It was obvious that you wanted to get away—but you couldn't because you were pregnant and your mother was sickly. Now with the birth over, you were ready to kill Zira and then move on up to Vuta—_**weren't you**_?"

More murmurs filled the room.

"_She definitely did it…_"

"_There's no doubt about it!_"

"_**Off with her head!**_"

Cree sunk her teeth into her lower lip, fearfully looking down at her cubs and then glancing back at the crowd.

"This is pure buffoonery!" she shot in her defense. "I was here with the pups and Kijana this whole time!"

It took her a second to realize what she just said. Keisha's heart dropped as Vuta got closer to figuring out who the real culprit was.

"Is that so, Cree?" he asked suavely as he approached her. "And exactly _who_ were you watching the little bastard for?"

Cree stood silent for a while.

"_**OH MY GOODNESS!**_" she thought to herself. "_**Keisha **__was the one who killed her! I can't believe she did this, but I can't out her to Vuta like this!"_

"**It's none of your business!**" she retorted out loud to the angry lion.

Keisha let out a whoosh of relief as Cree said those words. Vuta snarled at the hyena, turning away, knowing he'll never be able to force an answer out of her.

"Chances are, that lion who left the cub in Cree's care left to commit the murder. So we know that the animal who did it is related to the cub, _or_ at least cares a great deal about him." Gamba proposed.

Keisha's heart beat faster and faster with each coming second. She realized she didn't have much time until everyone pointed fingers at her.

"But that still doesn't explain how the culprit carried the carcass off for Zira to eat." Nyoni said.

"Simple," Vuta told the bird. "The murderer picked out the darkest colored hare it could find, and somehow, got the poison inside or around the carcass and fed it to Zira."

"**Alright now we're getting somewhere!**" cackled Nama maniacally. "**All hyenas to the right, all lions to the left!**"

The animals complied and separated onto each side of the cave. Vuta eyed the cub secured in Keisha's grip.

"Give me the boy, child." he ordered with a sly grin.

"**Never!**" hissed the lioness vengefully.

"Give him to me or you'll die."

"Keisha, just give him to Vuta." Kiara begged to her headstrong daughter. "It's his blood. He wouldn't be _that_ sinister."

Keisha grudgingly handed over the cub to its murderous father and continued to watch him like a hawk.

"You take so much after me," he cooed sarcastically, keeping his eyes locked at the cub's plump neck.

"W-what are you thinking?" Kiara asked worriedly.

"Oh nothing really," he smirked, examining his claws. "It's just a bit tragic that if one of you don't come forward, this poor little soul will have to die."

The lioness' eyes shot open in horror as Vuta pressed his index claw against the oblivious cub's neck.

"**Let him go!**" ordered a frightened Kiara.

"Then confess to the murders!" Vuta snarled in rage.

"**I didn't do it! I'm telling the truth!**"

A wail of pain escaped the young cub as Vuta's claw pinched through a small piece of skin. Vuta was remorseless and had every intention of slicing through the newborn's gullet, but Keisha's cries of concern caught his attention.

"Please don't hurt him, Vuta," she wept. "**You're going to kill him!**"

Vuta paid no mind to Keisha's pleas for Kijana's safety and extracted his claw from the cub, a miniscule trail of blood staining his perfectly cream-colored underbelly.

"**Alright…ALRIGHT!**" she said finally. "**I did it…**_**I'm**_** the one who killed Zira!**"

Everyone gasped and turned to the shaking lioness.

"Keisha, you don't have to lie!" begged Kiara. "Kijana will be just fine.** This can't be true, it just can't be!**"

"_It's true, Mommy…I'm sorry._" she whispered sadly.

"Well, it looks like we found out our little killer." smiled Vuta.

Gamba looked in denial as Keisha breathed heavily and her eyes filled with fear. It didn't seem like her to go off and kill Zira. He didn't think she had the audacity to do such a thing.

"**Whatever, Vuta.**" Keisha muttered, inching away as he approached. "Kill me and get it over with…"

"Oh Keisha," Vuta mocked with sarcastic pity. "But what would your daddy say if he saw you now?"

Kiara snarled at him furiously.

"Oh so you don't know?" he smiled slyly. "So I'm assuming Keisha didn't tell you about our little _encounter_ from a few weeks ago?"

"Vuta, _**shut up**_!" the humiliated lioness muttered between grit teeth.

"Don't be so bashful, young lady. It was about time Kiara learned that I moved on from her to her _pretty, little daughter_."

"**No!**" exclaimed the horrified mother. "**How DARE you touch her? I have half the mind to rip your throat out you sick son of a—!**"

"Temper, woman." Vuta chuckled warmly. "It was a matter of time before she caught my eye. She takes after you—doesn't she?"

Gamba looked off dolefully, trying to avoid what was about to happen. Now his worst fears were confirmed. Keisha and Vuta did have an intimate relationship. The lionesses barricaded Kiara from the king as Vuta held Keisha's chin tight in his grip, her slender neck exposed to his idle paw.

"I'm sorry it has to end like this, my princess." he snickered. "And to think if I hadn't forced you into it, I would've missed out on such a golden opportunity. You would've made a spectacular queen to bask in my tyranny, but then _this_ had to happen…"

Gamba's eyes ignited with rage.

"_**That son of a bitch!**_" he roared in his head. "_She didn't choose to be with him—he-he __**RAPED**__ her!"_

"Jury?" Vuta summoned with a widening grin.

"We the jury find Keisha guilty of murdering the queen." Nama declared, an evil glint in her eyes. She'd been waiting for this moment since she first laid eyes on her at the waterhole.

"Well so be it," he spoke as his dagger like claws raked against the princess' delicate neck. "Keisha…prepare to die."

The Pridelanders looked on in fear, saddened that they could do nothing but watch another one of their respected members die in the hands of Vuta. Kiara looked away, tears pouring down her face, Kandi holding her tight.

"It'll be alright," she shushed, pacifying her like a little cub. "Stop crying, Kiara."

Cree held tighter to her pups as Vuta's claw grew closer and his grip got tighter. Gamba narrowed his eyes in anger as he glared at Vuta from his spot. He prayed that Vuta would have a sudden change of thought and spare his friend, but all hope seemed slim to none. When suddenly, Vuta dropped the girl and she fell with a loud thud onto the ground.

"I'm willing to make an exception," he said with his infamous smirk of destined misfortune.

Keisha groaned in pain as she looked up woozily at the mighty lion. Her spirits were lifted knowing that she was going to be spared, but she still worried for her well-being.

"I won't lie to you, sweetheart." he spoke, his face leveling down with hers. "It's a huge burden, but it will all be worth it in the end."

Keisha looked up unsurely, shakily nodding her head in approval.

"Keisha…I will spare your life…if I can take your hand in marriage."

More gasps and commotion erupted.

"**What?**" she gasped. "**If you think I'd marry you after all of **_**this**_**, you got another thing coming! Haha!**"

"Do it or I won't hesitate killing you _and_ the little scoundrel." he warned, jerking his head towards Kijana.

She felt a pang of consciousness strike her at that instant, and with a heavy heart, she looked at Vuta and opened her mouth.

"Alright," she uttered inaudibly.

"So they can hear you, my wife." Vuta chuckled, his maw dangerously close to her ear.

"I will marry you!" she said, her voice bitter and angry.

"Well done, my beautiful little bride." he grinned. "Now was that so hard?"

Keisha glanced over at Gamba, who looked distraught from what he's just heard.

"The wedding will start in fours moons!" he announced, his hyena goons cackling at the news.

"**All hail the king!**" they chanted repeatedly.

Three of them carried Zira's lifeless body on their backs, preparing to bury her. The only one who remained silent and in her spot was Cree, who glared at the king as he exited the cave, a horde of his followers marching in unison behind him. Kiara rushed to her daughter's side, alone with Rafiki, who had the cub secure in his arms.

"Oh Keisha, what will we do with you?" she wept softly.

"There's nothing left to do," sighed the golden lioness' melancholy daughter. "Is he hurt badly?"

"It's just a leetle scratch." Rafiki spoke. "He was probably just a leetle frightened. He's a very strong boy."

"Well, as long as he's alright," Keisha sighed with a plastic smile.

"Keisha, don't do this if you don't want to." Nala insisted.

"Did you hear what he said?" retorted the lioness. "He'll kill me _and_ Kijana if I refuse his proposal."

"We'll find a way…" Fola insisted, consoling the lioness.

"No…there's no stopping him now." she sighed, breaking away from her family. "Game over…"

She departed from the den in large sprints, heading to a quiet space. She took one good look at the area, the place where she galloped fervently around with Jelani and Zarina, while Simba stood by, chuckling at the sight, reminiscing about the good times that he and his family used to share back when he was young and full of energy. Now, she was barely an adult, and almost everyone who was near and dear to her were dead and gone, murdered in cold blood by the vicious tyrant, Vuta.

"I failed you," she sniffed. "I've failed you all."

She took a deep breath and when she heard rustling behind her, she turned about face quickly to find Gamba. A smile of relief crept across her face.

"I'm so sorry, Keisha." he sighed. "For everything."

"It's not your fault," Keisha replied solemnly. "I was too ignorant and stubborn to see how much you really loved me. Blame it on me."

"No…it's my fault. If I never lied about my feelings for you, we could've probably established our relationship way before this happened."

Keisha sighed meagerly as she looked off towards the dully-colored horizon, veiled with clouds of gray.

"Well I don't care anymore." Gamba said after a moment of silence. "I don't care what Vuta, Nama, Obi, or anyone else thinks. Keisha, I love you and I want everyone to know!"

Keisha smiled proudly at him and in the heat of the moment, she brought him towards her, arms wrapped around his shoulders, her muzzle close to his face, and she gave him a tender lick on his cheek. At her touch, Gamba lit up like a star, his stomach fluttering with anxiety and his heart pacing at an alarmingly quick rate.

"I love you too," she said with a shy smile, burying her tear-stained face into her beau's chocolate-brown mane.

"Here we are, finally professing our love for each other, only to find out we can't even go further than quick little meetings at faraway places, because you're a bride to the most ruthless killer known to lion." Gamba noted, his arms slung around the young lioness' body. "If I only knew how much Vuta had hurt you, I would've done something about it…The fact that they took me in during my time of need, it just…clouded my senses. For a moment, I thought this was right. If I knew what I knew now, I would've _**never**_ did what I did when we met at the borders. I'm so sorry, Keish…"

Keisha shushed him, snuggling underneath him mane, her foreleg wrapped around his as they continued their embrace. Little did they know, their secret rendezvous was being watched from a far. The spectator's blue eyes fastened onto Gamba and Keisha, and his lips curled into an angry snarl. His teeth rattled in his mouth and his claws raked against the cracked terrain.

"Damnit." he muttered. "I will _**not**_ let him ruin this for me. She _will_ be mine!"

* * *

><p>As nighttime quickly approached in the Pridelands, Keisha and Gamba quickly raced home, hoping their secret meeting was undetected by their respective prides. They were supposed to be home by the evening, but being so youthful and fun-loving, the couple got caught up in their fun little outing, one thing lead to another, and they carelessly threw their cautions to the wind, unaware of how much time had passed since they left the cave. They shared one last nuzzle good-bye before Keisha headed into her usual spot, a wall of rock that jutted from the mighty home, where her mother and half-brother usually slept.<p>

"Good night," Gamba sighed amorously as his belle gracefully bounded for her sleeping spot.

As Gamba readied to head to his own spot, one a few yards from Nama and Obi, he was cornered by a shadowy figure.

"Vuta?" he faltered. "What is it? What did I do?"

"**You know very well what you've done.**"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Before he could blink, Gamba found himself slammed onto the ground, Vuta snarling and turning red in the face, furiously growling at Gamba.

"I loved you like a son, and you betray me like this…?" he hissed.

"_You're a sick lion, Vuta,_" wheezed Gamba, a trail of crimson trailing from the corner of his mouth and forming a slowly growing puddle. "_You don't deserve her, you deserve to be alone for the rest of your sad, miserable life. You're a __**pathetic**__ excuse of a man._"

At the sound of this, Vuta pressed his paw to Gamba's throat, his claws pressing against his neck.

"You're like blood to me, Gamba." he snarled. "You're lucky I'm letting you live, but your adultery will not go without consequences."

Gamba feebly looked up at him, steadying himself back onto his fours and looking up at Gamba, a slight tremor in his stance.

"**You're hereby exiled from the Pridelands!** Now leave my presence this instant, you traitor."

* * *

><p><strong>This is probably the one of the longest, if not the longest, chapter in this story so far. I was so excited to write this that I did it in less than 24 hours.<strong>

**Anyway, looks like Gamba's exiled from the Pridelands. Wonder what Keisha'll think. :(**


	17. Chapter 17: Fork In the Road

**Chapter 17, a bit late, but pretty lengthy! :P Now onto the reviews: **

**- milele yako: Oh yeah…I tend to do that a lot. :P Bear with me. xD Thanks for reading! **

**- Selephnir: Thanks for reading! And…what kinds of cookies… :O **

**- TLK Nerd: Hah, Keisha isn't nearly half as badass as I'm gonna make her. Wicked Witch of the Pridelands?! Lmaoo. Your too much, you little rascal, you. **

**- can'thinkofasuitableusername: One can only hope… :(**

**- comicfan209: Your reviews always make me laugh. xD Something gives me that faint impression that you're a Buddhist who has an immense hatred for Vuta and a burning desire for Madea to kick his butt. :D**

**Anyway, back to the story! Enjoy! **

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><p>~17~<p>

_When Kovu finally roused from his slumber, it didn't take him long to realize he wasn't leaning by the tree anymore. He was in a den, with dozens of other sleeping lionesses. Confused and a bit alarmed, he quickly ran out of there and tried to find out where he was. Everything was green and lush. A herd of zebra lingered just beyond his home. It took him a minute to realize that he was at that strange rock Jelani had pointed out to him earlier. He was stirred back into the cave by a smooth, feminine voice. _

"_Good morning, Kovu." smiled the golden lioness as she approached him for a tender embrace. _

"_Whoa!" shot the chocolate lion, backing away from the bewildered lioness. "W-who are you?" _

"_Don't be silly, Kovu. It's me…Kiara…__**your wife**__…" the lioness said sternly. _

"_Don't get me wrong. I think you're a __**beautiful**__ young lioness—__**very beautiful**__ in fact…emmm…Kiara. But I __don't__ think I know you from anywhere. So why would I have married you?" _

_He pondered her further. It was all so familiar to him. He finally realized that this lioness, Kiara, was the same lioness that appeared in his dreams—the one with the silky voice and the twin female cubs in her arms. _

"_I've seen you in my dreams," Kovu added in awe. "__**I know you!**__" _

"_Kovu…err…are you okay?" laughed the lioness, with a small hint of concern in her voice. "You should go take a walk. It'll clear your head." _

"_Huh, you're right!" he nodded in agreement as he trotted along the slope and headed to learn more about this mysterious land. _

_While walking, he suddenly heard a bird belt a shrill squawk followed by three childish laughs from three different kids. Quick to help, Kovu quickly headed to the grasslands, where it came from. When he peered over a large rock, he saw the source of the commotion: three lion cubs, one cream, one maize, and one tan, as well as a pink colored bird who looked disgruntled and unhappy with her current position._

"_Let her go, Keisha." the golden one laughed. "I don't think Nyoni wants to go snake fishing anymore." _

_Once Kovu surveyed her a bit more, he realized she had almost identical features to Kiara. _

"_She must be her daughter," concluded Kovu under his breath._

"_That's not true, Zarina!" the brown cub, he presumed was Keisha, replied in fits of laughter, her paw pinned onto Nyoni's tail feathers. "Nyoni thinks we're a blast to hang out with." _

_The third cub was with Keisha, laughing and horsing around. It didn't take Kovu long to realize who it was. _

"_Jelani!" he said in a low voice. _

_When he saw how stressed the bird look, he departed from his hiding place and confronted the cubs. When they saw him, they quickly let her go and feigned innocence. _

"_What do you think you're doing to this poor bird?" he frowned at the puppy-faced cubs. _

"_We were just playing!" Keisha moaned._

"_Regardless, you should treat that bird with respect." he scolded to the strange cubs. "She's well past your years and she is very wise." _

"_Oh, Kovu, you shouldn't have." a flattered Nyoni laughed, her cheeks glowing red from bashfulness. _

"_Now how do __**you**__ know my name?" he inquired shockingly. _

"_Daddy, you can't be serious," the bewildered golden cub said with a laugh. "That's Nyoni, your majordomo." _

_Kovu looked around in confusion, and then back at the puzzled cubs. _

"_Me?!" he shot back. "I'm your dad?" _

"_Well, duh!" Keisha replied with feigned stupidity. "You're my dad too! Except for Jelani, cause he's Aunt Tani's son."_

"_Tani?" _

"_You know, Vitani?!" Zarina said with a forced laugh, her patience running low. "Your __**sister**_?"

"_A sister too?" thought the lion to himself. "There's so much I don't know." _

"_You're acting __**really**__ weird, Uncle Kovu." tittered the ever-so-familiar lone male cub of the trio._

_As Kovu was about to reply, a loud, painful scream caught their attention and they quickly bounded towards the source. _

"_**Grandpa!**__" cried the two girl cubs as they quickly headed to the lion's lifeless body. _

_Kovu took note on his features. He shared identical features to the beautiful lioness he'd just met at that weird looking rock, but he was a lot older and buffer. But now, he was dying and his body stained with his blood. Shadows crept around the three cubs, trapping them in a circle of black and out loomed another lioness about the dead lion's age, a toothy grin wide across her aged face, looking down at the helpless cubs._

"_**Take the brat!**__" she demanded, a hyena grabbing the golden cub and fleeing the scene. "Get rid of the other pests." _

_Kovu tried to help the kidnapped cub, but the hyenas took off in speeds unheard of, leaving Kovu burdened by the guilt of watching the cub meet her tragic fate. Keisha and Jelani quickly ran off for safety, and Kovu tried to help, but instead, he roared in pain as he felt a heavy pressure rooted onto his tail. He turned around and saw a lion nearly twice his size, his lips curled into a sinister grin. Under his paws, he felt the ground crumble beneath him, parting in two, water rushing through the large crevice._

"_You've betrayed me, son." hissed the lioness. "Now you'll pay for it." _

_Her stare focused onto Vuta, who quickly got the message and tried to push Kovu into the water. Kovu managed to restrain the lion, turn around, swatting him away. For a moment, he could've escaped and gotten help, but Vuta grabbed him hind leg and dragged him along the embankment. Kovu slipped and Vuta maintained dominance once again._

"_Vale, King Kovu." he chuckled as he threw him into the flooded valley. _

_As his lungs filled with the rushing waters, he could only watch as Zira and Vuta looked down on him remorselessly. Added to the evil duo was a young male cub, with emotionless green eyes narrowed as he looked on at the drowning king. _

* * *

><p>"<strong>Gah!<strong>" panted the lion as he suddenly bolted from his nightmare.

He looked around. He wasn't in those lush green lands anymore, nor was he in that big pointy rock.

"You okay, Uncle Kovu?" inquired Jelani as he stepped down from the tree he was relaxing in. "I could hear you from all the way up there."

"You know, kid." Kovu told the young lion. "You have perseverance. Even after I've treated you like crap, you still come back and try to prove your point. I respect you for that."

"Oh stop it, you." Jelani laughed with fake bashfulness, which triggered one from the older lion as well.

"You're not too bad, kid."

"I only wish I could persuade you to stay longer."

"You gotta do what you gotta do."

"I guess…but everyone would've died if they saw you—especially Keisha, she's never been the same since you left."

A light bulb suddenly went off in Kovu's head.

"But I'm getting pretty tired," Jelani continued with a yawn. "I'm gonna go hit the sack."

"**No wait!**" Kovu insisted, causing the lion to stay glued to his original spot.

"Keisha…" he pondered out loud. "**Keisha! **That little cub I met that was bothering that old bird."

"What?" asked his puzzled acquaintance.

"I had a dream. You were in it. And so was she. And another golden one, very smart and very pretty."

"Zarina?!" Jelani answered eagerly.

"**Yeah! **I saw all three of you, and she told me that I was their father."

"Because you _**are**_ you big oaf! Your mate is Kiara and you both ruled the Pridelands together before Vuta and Zira came in and overthrew you both. But before that…they killed Kiara's dad, Simba, and your daughter, Zarina."

Everything grew quiet and solemn again.

"A little while after they took over, they planned to kill Jabari and I," Jelani continued after a momentous pause. "But their plan backfired and we both ended up surviving the ordeal with a few cuts and bruises…and that's why we're here."

"I'm learning more about my past life," Kovu smiled meagerly, brushing his paw against the dirt terrain he stood above. "But with so much tragedy, I'm starting to regret learning about it at all."

"Listen, Kovu." Jelani started assertively. "Vuta and Zira are ruining the Pridelands as we speak. Of course no lone lion could ever take that kingdom down, but as a team, we're capable of doing it. We have to go back, for the sake of Kiara, Keisha, Vitani, and everyone else who's suffering from their tyranny."

"I don't know, Jelani." sighed the brown lion. "With all the danger we're putting ourselves into, it makes me want to re-consider."

"**Well let me tell you something!** Before my Uncle Kovu lost his memory, he was brave, and daring, and didn't even have to think twice about leaping into danger, especially when his family and friends were involved."

He turned away to retreat back to his sleeping spot.

"Keep _**that**_ in mind."

Kovu emitted a sigh heavy with exhaustion and plopped back into his spot. He was finally at the fork in the road, where he had to pick his fate: stay here and spare the lives of him and the other lions, or go back home and do what's right.

* * *

><p>Keisha rose quickly from her sleeping spot. A few of the lionesses were still sleeping, including her mother, with Kijana still dozing off in her arms. She quietly tiptoed away from the slumbering pride and made her way towards the main den, where the hyenas usually slept.<p>

"What are you doing up so early?" moaned Cree wearily as she rose from her spot, her pups sleeping on their stomachs.

"I'm looking for Gamba." Keisha responded, scoping the room for him. "But I can't find him anywhere."

"Did he come in last night?"

"We came at the very same time. He said good-night to me and we both headed to our spots."

"That's odd. Maybe he's out at the waterhole or something."

"I guess so," sighed Keisha. "I'll head out there and see."

"Well hurry up!" Cree advised. "And make sure _you-know-who_ doesn't find out about _you-know-what_."

Keisha rolled her eyes playfully and made her way down, where she was stopped suddenly.

"Vuta?" she said in shock.

"Looking for someone?" he chuckled warmly, looming out of the shadows.

"No, I was just headed to the waterhole."

Vuta rolled his eyes and approached her.

"I'm not an easy one to fool, Keisha. I know _all_ about your little nocturnal affair with him."

Keisha's heart paced quicker as she heard those words.

"After you shared your good-nights, he left the Pridelands." he lied through his teeth. "He was humiliated that he'd spent the day romancing with someone as low of status as yourself."

"It couldn't be…" Keisha moaned to herself, her head hung beneath her shoulders.

"It's true," snickered the lion. "But don't worry, I'll treat you like the queen you are, my little gem."

Keisha looked up at him as he said that. Her eyes locked onto his blue orbs. Something was different. Then she knew…

"You're lying!" she hissed. "**I can see it in your eyes! You're lying to me! What did you do with him?!**"

Vuta was taken aback by Keisha's sudden retort, but felt that telling her the truth would only further convince her that Gamba was never coming back.

"If you must know, you're little _boyfriend_ had been exiled," he smiled ruthlessly. "It'll only be a matter of days before he dies."

"All you've been doing is killing my family and friends and making my life a living hell!" Keisha scorned. "I don't know how, but I hope that all the sin you've committed will catch up to you someday and the Great Kings'll give you a taste of your own medicine."

"Keisha, you're heads so far up in the clouds," cackled Vuta. "Do you really think your precious kings would've let all of this happen?"

Vuta smugly walked away, leaving Keisha rooted in her spot.

"Hopefully, he isn't too far away…" she thought to herself.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Gamba was looking off into a nearby pool of water, looking off at his reflection.<p>

"_**Christ, it stings!**_" hissed the young lion painfully.

His head was tilted sideways, his cheek burning with four red gashes from where Vuta hit him. The scars glowed like red lava and blood still trailed from the corner of his mouth, staining his coat. He dipped his head into the calm waters, washing away the hurt. He lifted himself abruptly out of there and turned back to Pride Rock, which he could barely see from where he was. It was already dawn and everyone was probably waking up by now. He wondered how Keisha would feel knowing that she'd wake up in a few moments and he'd be out of her life forever. He was well beyond the borders and now trekking across the free territory that margined the Pridelands. Due to the decreasing number of food, lions and hyenas ate much less frequently as they did before. Gamba himself hadn't eaten in three days, and his fasting finally caught up to him. Famished and injured from his last confrontation with an angry and betrayed Vuta, the lion found it difficult to navigate for such long distances through the now murky, mud terrain. He fought to make it to safe refuge and once he ventured through the lands, he collapsed, exhausted, injured, and dirty from the muck that covered most of his lower body. He noticed two shadows loom over him, but overcome by hunger and weakness, he could do nothing but watch them drag him along with them.

* * *

><p><strong>There's nothing really to say here actually…:P But, if you made it this far thanks for reading! You guys rock! :D<strong>


	18. Chapter 18: Amiri

**Chapter 18! I'd say this story will be done in about a few chapters, no more than five! :O Now onto the reviews… :)**

**- lionkingfan: It's cool. Thanks for reading! :D**

**- Selephnir: Awesome! I love chocolate chip. But I looooovvveee white macadamia! XD**

**- Ke-Ke Shan: Thanks! Wow…lots of people hate Vuta now… **

**- can'thinkofasuitableusername: Awww, you're so sweet! You shouldn't have… (:**

**- comicfan209: Luanlegacy?! Oh-emm-geee…I LOVE that guy! Now I feel pretty dumb for not getting the reference. Hah! But then again, I haven't seen him since I saw that V-Day video he made about girls all depressed about not getting boyfriends as early as other girls. :P Oh, as for nzurikifo, it doesn't have any meaning! Lol. I just translated **_**beautiful death**_** on Google Translate, and I got something like nzuri di kifo or something in that variation. But I felt the name was too long to keep repeating over and over again, so I just shortened it to nzurikifo. xD Hope that helped! **

**Enjoy the chapter, guys! **

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><p>~18~<p>

"**You're what?!**" Cree gaped in shock as Keisha uttered the news.

"_Keep your voice down!_" muttered the worried lioness. "_He_ might hear us!"

Cree complied and just shook her head in disapproval. She'd just been told that Keisha was planning to run away from the Pridelands to find Gamba and possibly convince him to come back home with her.

"Are you really dead set on finding this guy?" she asked. "Vuta's gonna be pretty mad when he finds out, and you've already been spared from death."

"Who cares?" scoffed the lioness. "Sure, it's a bit too much, but I can't live the rest of my life wondering 'what-if?', you know?"

"But he was exiled last night," Cree noted, at her very last whim. "He's probably long gone."

"Well, I'll just have to look for him, right?" smiled the lioness coolly as she lifted herself onto her feet.

Cree quickly sped behind her.

"So when are you leaving?"

"Tonight…"

"Keisha, I wish I could talk you out of this, but you probably wouldn't listen anyway," laughed the female hyena as she trailed alongside her feline friend.

"If you're so worried, why don't you tag along?"

"I would, Keish, but I'm afraid to leave my pups alone here. Nama and Obi managed to ostracize me from all the other hyenas. I'm afraid if I leave for so long, my pups will be gone."

"No worries, Cree." Keisha replied nonchalantly. "We'll find a way."

* * *

><p>Nighttime quickly arrived and the girls' scheme began to unravel. Vuta was the last go to sleep, and he made sure he kept a real good eye on Keisha before he retreated back to his own cave. Cree's mother, despite her condition, agreed to watch Ekon and Umi, much to Cree's relief.<p>

"You two be good for Grandma, alright?" she sung angelically as she nuzzled each of her young boys.

It was already midnight and everyone was already asleep. Keisha paced anxiously outside the front of Pride Rock, hoping that nobody would catch her and Cree going beyond the borders.

"Are you sure the pups wouldn't be too much for you?" Cree said in a different tune. "I know how weak you've been lately."

"No…I insist." the aging hyena smiled. "Just come back soon so I don't worry too much."

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll be back in a hurry." the younger hyena smiled, embracing her mother before she took off.

"It's about time you came out." scowled Keisha as she quickly bolted from her spot. "Come on, we can't afford to waste time."

"Keisha, there are guards by the borders." Cree warned. "We have to evade them."

"Don't worry," Keisha smirked. "Vuta hand-picks the stupidest of the bunch to guard the borders at night. It'll be a breeze to pass through."

Through the thickets of bushes just yards away from the unchartered territory, two hyenas marched left and right, looking for any intruders, whilst they rambled on about life.

"You go first, Cree." Keisha whispered. "You're faster."

Cree gulped heavily before she dashed out of the shrubs and took cover before the two hyenas could figure out what was going on. After talking amongst themselves, they resumed the patrol and it was Keisha's turn to make a run for it. She crouched back just a little bit and tried to dart away, but the trepidation took over her body and she froze.

"Keisha, come on!" Cree hissed between clenched teeth. "You're gonna screw us over!"

The guards got a mere glimpse of her before she quickly settled herself in some nearby stalks of grass.

"Let's get out of here before they get curious," suggested Cree.

"Right behind ya,"

But before they could escape without a witness, the two guards barricaded them and they met eyes.

"Vuta's gonna blow his lid when he finds out his little bride was trying to run away." Nama scorned.

"I suggest you get going home if you wanna stay in one piece." Obi threatened.

"Stay out of our way!" warned Cree ferociously. "And bad things won't happen."

"Let's go, kid." Nama hissed, her claws and teeth bore at her opponent. "I'm ready for ya!"

"**No, wait!**" interjected the lone lioness.

The two fighting hyenas relaxed from their threatening stances and jerked their heads towards Keisha as she said those words.

"What could possibly possess you into not killing these two morons?" Cree asked with a hint of frustration.

"They could help us, Cree." Keisha told the confused canine.

"Like we'd ever help _**you**_!" Obi spat.

"Listen to me!" roared the lioness in response. "Vuta exiled Gamba and pretty much left him to die out there."

Both hyenas softened their faces and looked at her attentively, a hint of worry in their expressions.

"Look, guys…I know we didn't necessarily start off on the right foot, but the three of us have something in common—we care a lot about Gamba, and I was hoping if you joined me, maybe we could find him, and…possibly start over?"

Nama's eyes narrowed as she made her decision. Cree inched away from them, suspicious of the hyena's behavior.

"What do you say?" asked Keisha, a look of uncertainty in her teal eyes.

After a long pause, Nama finally made her decision.

"Fine, we'll come with you," she decided. "But it's only for Gamba's sake."

Keisha smiled and she looked towards the North.

"Follow me." she spoke. "I saw some paw prints around here…he's gotta be around somewhere."

* * *

><p>Gamba was stirred out of his sleep by an incoming draft. His eyes fluttered open and he was in a cave all alone. For a moment, he thought he was back in Pride Rock and that confrontation with Vuta was all a dream, but when he saw the scars on his face, he knew that this was reality, and he tried to remember what happened to him before he passed out. When the memory of being dragged away by the two mysterious lions played back in his head again, he realized he was probably miles away from home, and he had to leave quickly.<p>

"Where are you going so early?" an old, motherly voice questioned with concern. "**No, stay…stay!**"

An aging lioness reared him back into the den.

"W-who are you?" groaned the young lion.

"I'm Nasha," she replied softly, the corners of her mouth curled into a loving smile. "Azi and I saw you nearing death in the middle of nowhere, so we took you in. He'll be so thrilled to see you're awake."

"Azi…?" he inquired as he rubbed his throbbing head with his left paw. "Where have I heard that before?"

"Oh that's right," the lioness responded jovially after some thinking. "We've met before, haven't we."

"When?"

"When that golden lioness went into labor right in those fields," she laughed, her broad smile putting more emphasis on her aging face.

When distant footsteps were heard, Nasha eagerly galloped towards the mouth of the den, and greeted a male lion with a tender embrace.

"He's awake, Azi." she grinned.

"Glad to see you back to your old self," Azi chortled heartily. "We worried ourselves a bit."

The lion pushed a fresh carcass towards Gamba.

"You must be starving," he smiled. "Go on, eat."

Gamba complied and took a bite out of the plump flesh.

"Good, huh?"

The lion scoffed humorously as he took another chunk out of the meat.

"There's plenty more where that came from," Nasha added with a welcoming smile.

"You're spoiling me…" Gamba laughed. "I don't need any more…I insist."

"If you say so, son." Azi added in good humor. "So tell me, what brings you here in our neck of the woods?"

Gamba looked up from his meal and began.

"I got caught with Vuta's bride, and he exiled me," he sighed.

"But isn't he married to Zira?" Nasha inquired, which resulted in a cold look from Azi.

"Well no…Zira died," the brown lion answered. "But…one thing…how did you know Vuta and Zira were mates?"

The couple froze in their spots, their plastic smiles wafting away and showing their true emotions.

"How do you know about my family?!" demanded Gamba. "**Who are you really, and why did you bring me here?!**"

"We were just being Good Samaritans," Azi insisted. "Just purely coincidence."

"Bull!" roared the angered lion. "Now tell me who you are or I'll kill both of you on the spot!"

"Just tell him, Azi." Nasha said fearfully. "We can't harbor this secret any longer."

Azi complied and looked at the cub.

"Sit down, son." he ordered calmly.

Gamba obeyed him, his eyes still fiery with anger and confusion.

"Now tell us your name," he said without raising a decibel.

"My name's Gamba, but I don't see how that's of any importance—."

"Your mother was going to name you Amiri."

"Amiri?" Gamba scoffed. "You know nothing about my mother. Don't make me laugh!"

"We know more than you." Azi insisted.

"How so?"

"Gamba…she was our daughter…and we're your grandparents."

Grandparents…_grandparents_.

Gamba looked at them with disbelief, but when he saw the seriousness etched on their faces, he realized this was no joke. Nasha shared the same eyes that he did, and Azi sported the same colored mane.

"Oh come here, _Mjukuu_." Nasha wept, her arms slung across her long-lost grandson.

Gamba stroked her back with his free arm and looked heartily at his grandfather as they both exchanged nods.

"Tell me more about my mother, and my father," he said eagerly. "What did they look like? What did they eat? What did they like to do?"

"Easy there, Amiri." Nasha cooed. "There'll be plenty of stories to come if you agree to stay with us."

"What?! This is just for a few days, right?"

"More like forever, kid." Azi chuckled. "But what's the big deal, you _were_ exiled weren't you?"

"Yeah…but—."

Gamba couldn't bear to leave his old, lonely grandparents all alone. He was in a way, the living, breathing memento their daughter left behind before she passed.

"Is everything alright, Amiri?" Nasha asked worriedly. "You look sad."

"It's nothing, Grandma." Gamba insisted. "I'm just a little homesick, that's all."

"It'll be over before you know it, Amiri." Azi chuckled gruffly. "But before you do this…we have to tell you something about your mother."

"Well isn't that what I wanted to know about for all this time?" scoffed Gamba.

"No, Amiri," Nasha scowled. "This is no laughing matter. You might change your mind, you might hate out guts, but we're hoping you'll be mature enough to handle what we're about to tell you."

Gamba bit his lip unsurely and then he finally faced the lions.

"I'm all ears," he said, oblivious to the story of tragedy that would soon be bestowed upon him.

* * *

><p><strong>This chapter was gonna be longer, but I'm just gonna be a troll and leave you with a cliffhanger! xD Expect chapter 19 very soon. :)<strong>


	19. Chapter 19: The Truth is Revealed

**The dramatic conclusion to the previous chapter's cliffhanger…Chapter 19! This chapter might be really short compared to the others since it was originally supposed to be included in Chapter 18. :) **

**- lionkingfan: I didn't forget them! :) Their perspective will be told in the next chapter. Thanks for reading!**

**- Selephnir: Glad you like the suspense! Peanut butter cookies are pretty good too! **

**- comicfan209: To be honest…I never really cared for Timon or Pumbaa. I cut their deaths out to make the story less graphic, but then I just resorted to not mentioning them at all. If I ever did put them in here, they'd probably be too OOC anyway since I'm more of a serious writer. But thanks for reading!**

**- TLK Nerd: You wanted to be the 69th reviewer?...Moving on lmao. **

**- can'thinkofasuitableusername: Well, more will be told about Nasha and Azi in this upcoming chapter! Enjoy, and thanks for reading! :)**

**Now onto the thrilling conclusion to where we last left off, mhhmhmhmhmmm?**

**Just a little warning: There's a mildly suggestive scene at the very end of this chapter. Last one, I promise! **

* * *

><p>~19~<p>

"Your grandmother and I didn't used to be the only two lions in this place," Azi started. "We used to be a large pride—with Nasha and I as the dominant male and female."

"I see," Gamba sighed, his paws raking against the dirt terrain.

"Tamu was our daughter," Nasha added. "You're an almost perfect replica of her, with the exception of you being a male and all. Anyway, she was a very outspoken cub, and that contributed to the headstrong qualities she developed on her way to adulthood."

"Tamu…" Gamba muttered to himself. "My mother's name is Tamu."

He felt a feeling of satisfaction knowing he was one step closer to knowing more about his mother and father.

"Tamu was set to marry a noble lion from a pride many moons away," Azi continued. "But she was absolutely horrified. She didn't see why she didn't have a say in who she could marry and who she couldn't. We tried to talk her into the benefits of this decision, but she yelled, and fought and we couldn't take it. Many words were exchanged. Words that none of us meant, but carelessly bellowed in the heat of the moment, and that made our tight-knit family bond crumble beyond repair."

"And then, we woke up one morning, and she was gone." Nasha crooned. "Just vanished out of nowhere…"

"We got search parties to look for her in all hours of the night…but our searches yielded no results." Azi said with a hint of sadness. "She'd just disappeared without a trace, and we'd lost all hope in ever seeing out daughter again."

"Then what happened?" Gamba inquired, reluctant to know more about his family's past.

"I remember it so clearly, like it was yesterday," muttered Nasha. "We were all huddled, taking part in the prey we'd just caught. When suddenly, we heard a soft voice call for our attention. We turned around…and there she was! Tamu was right there, looking flushed and a bit embarrassed. After two months without any leads, she finally returned home."

"But…" Azi continued. "She was accompanied by a male lion just a little bit older than she was, who she later introduced as Dabir. He had the same colored pelt you had, but a heavy, silky black mane that draped just below his shoulder. My eyes strayed to the barely noticeable curve in her stomach. When I saw that, my blood began to boil and I was about to charge, but I stopped myself before I could do her harm. I told her that was a disgrace to our family and I disowned her as part of my pride. She took off in sobs and Dabir went after her. Nasha was too taken aback to even speak of the incident and the other lionesses in the pride didn't speak of the matter."

"Though we were angry at her for what she did, we often sent messenger birds for the first week or so to keep watch of Tamu to make sure she was in good hands. Then, about a few days after she left, one of the birds came back with a report. She told us that Tamu and Dabir were accepted into another pride that settled about a half a mile from us. The queen, Zira, and her young king, Vuta, allowed the couple to stay with them as long as they were deemed guardians of _you_ once you were born."

"Tamu was reluctant at first, because she didn't know what Zira and Vuta planned on doing with you or what danger they were willing to put you into, but desperate for a home, she agreed to sign you away in return for food and shelter."

"So they'd just give me away like that?" inquired Gamba, his voice shaky with despair. "Did I really mean that little to them?"

"Amiri, your parents were young and scared," Nasha insisted. "They always had doubts about doing what they did…and ultimately, it cost them their lives."

"But what are you talking about? My mother died from childbirth…"

"Amiri, your mother died three days after you were born." Azi corrected, his voice full of remorse.

"So…so you're saying…?"

"Your mother was murdered…"

Gamba's eyes widened in disbelief.

"About a week after Tamu and Dabir were inducted into Vuta and Zira's pride, Zira shared her true intentions as to why she wanted guardianship of you. She had her eyes set on the Pridelands since she was a young adult. Apparently, she'd been fighting for years for the throne, but was defeated—correct?"

Gamba nodded in agreement.

"Well, when Dabir heard this, he refused to give you to them. This went on until one day, Vuta persuaded him to follow him and possibly convince him into changing his mind. No one knows exactly what happened, but he was never heard from again."

"_It's just like how Jelani and Jabari were __ambushed__ that one night…_" Gamba thought to himself. "_There's no doubt in my mind that Vuta killed him._"

"Of course, Tamu was devastated when she heard what happened to her mate and from then on tried to break free from the pride to avoid any further confrontations, but Zira and Vuta threatened to kill her if she even spoke of leaving."

"Well, the months went by, and she eventually gave birth to you." Nasha spoke, giving a bittersweet smile. "She'd managed to flee that night, despite the fact she was still very weak. Unfortunately, Zira and Vuta found out about the escape and decided to start a fire to put an end to her plan three days after she left."

"Well how did you guys find out?"

"I remember the strong smell of smoke slithered towards our pride." Azi recalled. "When we turned to the source, we saw the area where Tamu was residing engulfed in flames. We were so devastated that we ran there as soon as we saw what had happened. By the time we arrived, the fire died down significantly, ashes were scattered about and the skies were black and ghoulish, and the smoke hindered our vision."

"But then, after blindly searching for clues, we found her…"

"No…"

"On the top of a boulder…"

"No…"

"Her cheeks stained with tears…"

"No…"

"And you weren't with her…"

"So they killed my mother and abducted me?"

"I'm afraid so, Amiri." Azi said, his eyes welling with tears.

"Once we found her, we carried her back to our pride and buried her a few yards from this den," Nasha wept softly. "I still become overwhelmed in guilt when I see her there."

"I just don't get it…" Gamba noted. "If she was so scared, why didn't she come to you for help?"

After a brief pause and exchanged looks, Azi stepped forward.

"She _**did**_ come to us," he spoke sadly. "The morning after you were born. She was crying with you between her paws, and she said that Zira was trying to kill her because she left."

"And what did you do?" retorted the younger of the three lions.

"I told her to leave my presence, and never return…"

"**WHAT?!**"

"I was too ignorant to see the danger she'd unwillingly put herself into," Azi insisted. "I told her to 'settle with her own affairs you and that _accident_ of yours caused'. The pride was disgusted by the way we were acting, and they left after that. Amiri, you're the only thing I have to remember my daughter by, don't walk out on me too."

Gamba looked up at his grandfather, his eyes seething with hatred.

"**I'll never forgive you for causing this!**" he snarled. "**You sat there and let my parents die because you were too **_**worthy**_** of letting them come back into your pride. Because of you, I was robbed both my father and my mother.**"

Gamba stormed towards the mouth of the den.

"Amiri, please don't leave…" Nasha crooned.

"**Shut up! My name is **_**GAMBA**_**—not Amiri…****GAMBA****! And why would I want to stay knowing my own grandparents were the ones who let my parents die!**"

Without further interruption, he darted from the scene and back onto the path. A storm of emotions buzzed through his mind.

"_Screw them…_" he said to himself. "_Screw Vuta…screw Zira…screw all of them._"

He'd been walking for about half an hour non-stop, long gone from his grandparents' pride.

"Gamby, we found ya!" cackled a familiar voice before the lion found himself on the floor with a skimpy brown canine on top of him.

"**Obi, what the hell?!**" he scoffed as he pushed himself up.

"Come on, ready to go back home?" Nama asked, cracking a relieved smile.

"Guys, I just need some time alone," Gamba sighed. "I'm not in the mood."

"Wanna talk about it?" spoke the voice of a young brown lioness.

Gamba lit up at the sight of her and the two ventured off away from the others.

"**Oh, so you can make time for **_**her**_** but not us?!**" scowled an envious Nama.

"**Get back over here!**" Obi demanded.

"_**You guys!**_" a frustrated Cree snapped between grit teeth.

* * *

><p>"You look stressed, what's going on?" Keisha inquired.<p>

"I've been wondering what happened to my parents for the longest, only to find out they've been killed by Vuta and Zira all along."

"**_What?!_**"

"It's true. Vuta and Zira were planning to use me in their plan to take over the Pridelands months before I was even born. I meant nothing more to them than a pawn in their silly little game."

"Gamba, you're so much more than that to me," his female counterpart purred as she rubbed her head along the bottom of his chin.

"Does your family know you're gone?"

"No."

"What about Vuta?"

"Of course not. I only told Cree, and Nama and Obi tagged along once they found us by the borders."

"That's not like them…"

"Well, they did it more for you anyway, so whatever. Vuta's gonna be a mess when he finds out I left."

Gamba's gaze strayed from her's a bit. But a thought came to his head, and he looked at her with that same boyish smile he had a tendency to crack at all the right moments.

"Well don't worry about it," he grinned, his forearms wrapped across his friend. "The only thing that matters tonight is _us_. Not Vuta, or anyone for that matter."

A smile widened across their young faces as they inched themselves near one another and they were a second closer to an evening the two lions would not forget anytime soon.

* * *

><p><strong>Well here was Chapter 20. Hope you enjoyed it! <strong>

**Peace out for now.**


	20. Chapter 20: Mistaken Identity

**Glad to say that in a few chapters, this story will be FINISHED! :D I'm thinking about a sequel, but not too certain yet.**

**- Selephnir: Getting some tail tonight…LMAO. I'm glad you don't really mind the suggestive themes, but the stories almost done and there won't be a lot more happening that could be considered racy or suggestive. Plus, if I go overboard with it, the story might get deleted. :P **

**- Emily642: I know :(. A lot of people felt this chapter was really sad. **

**- TLKNerd: Lol, thanks amiga. **

**- comicfan209: Keep them crossed. With Nama and Obi in the picture, you can never be too certain everything will go as planned! **

**- can'thinkofasuitableusername: Thanks! And yeah, those two were pretty creepy. **

**Anyway, chapter 20! **

* * *

><p>~20~<p>

Morning arrived in the Pridelands as usual, but the early tranquility that usually occurred was replaced by frantic searching by the Pridelanders and non-stop rambling coming from Vuta's den.

"**Nonsense! You're not looking hard enough!**" the disgruntled king cried out once another search party returned with no results. "_**Damn it! **_**How could she have escaped so easily?!**"

"Sir, we can't find Cree either," one of the hyenas told him. "She must've ran away with her too."

"**Damned fool!** **How dare she corrupt my bride with all her foolishness? Where are the guards?**"

"We can't find them either," another hyena mentioned. "We're not sure why Nama and Obi would take part."

"**Idiots,**" the strapping lion muttered to himself as he paced back and forth in front of his subjects. "**I should've known better than to let those two dimwits patrol.**"

He turned his focus towards the attentive hyenas, staring at him as they awaited his next order. He demanded that they dispatch throughout the land, look for Keisha and bring her back home. Meanwhile, in the den, Cree's pups grew restless and their grandmother tried her best to keep them silent.

"Don't cry, my grandsons," she cooed faintly. "Mommy will be home soon and everything will be back to normal."

Her attempts of pacifying the cubs came to a stop when several hyenas by the mouth of the cave caught her attention.

"Hey, Kiwa!" one of them snapped bitterly. "We know your daughter had something to do with this! Where'd she go?!"

"**I don't have to tell you anything!**" the aging hyena retorted, her arms wrapped tighter around the young ones.

"You better start talking now!" another one barked, his claws dangerously extracted from the sheath beneath his paws. "Or else Cree's coming back home without a mom—_**or sons**_!"

"**You stay away from us!**" Kiwa hissed ferociously, inching away from the trio.

"Kiwa, you're age has gotten the best of you," the third spat, her voice shaky as she neared closer to her target. "**You're far too weak to take us on!**"

"**But we're not!**" a random voice called from the den.

The hyenas turned around and were greeted with a swift slap in the face by Kiara, Kandi and Vitani. They looked up, baring their teeth at them.

"_I guess you'll be joining her…_" one of the fallen canines chuckled as he shakily got back onto his feet.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size, and _**age**_ for that matter?!" scowled Kiara as her eyes narrowed onto her target.

The two exchanged glares, but the hyena stepped down after deep thought and his group left the scene.

"Are you alright?" Kiara asked as she approached the shook up hyena. "You're not bruised or anything, are you?"

"No." Kiwa sighed with relief, her heart still pacing quickly. "Just a bit frightened."

"We just got back from a search party of our own." added Fola, who helped lift the old hyena gracefully back onto her feet. "If we'd gotten here a minute later, who knows what would've happened?"

"I'm just grateful they haven't hurt the pups," Kiwa noted, her lips drawn back into a bittersweet smile. "I overestimated my strength. I don't think I can take care of them like this for too long."

"My mother can watch them for you," Kiara suggested, finishing off with a humble nod. "She occasionally watches Kijana for us while we're hunting."

Kiwa's eyes grew wide with shock.

"Would you really do that for _me_?" she said with disbelief.

"Of course," the former monarch said with a grin. "Your daughter, Cree, showed a great amount of courage that day when Vuta confronted her and we respect her for that. You have our acceptance."

Kiwa smiled modestly at the golden lioness and the newly formed alliance departed from the den and headed to find more answers in the sudden disappearance of Keisha, who they feared could be facing a great amount of peril as they spoke. Little did they know, she was basking in the morning son, the arms of her lover slung across her body. An eye opened slowly and she escaped from Gamba's hold, nudging him with her paw.

"Wake up," she whispered inaudibly.

Her persistent nudging stopped when she heard a slurred groan escape from her companion and he lifted his head, fastening eyes with her.

"How long have we been asleep?" he said in a stirred, weary groan.

"Well, it's sunrise." Keisha noted. "If we wanna get back to Pride Rock quickly, we should get back now."

"Wait…what?"

"Aren't you coming back home?"

"Keisha…he's going to _**kill**_ me if I ever set foot in the Pridelands again."

"Well what about your parents?" the brown lioness pondered. "Are you gonna live your whole life knowing Vuta and Zira killed them and you did nothing about it?"

Gamba looked a bit unsure with the direction Keisha was heading with her words, but he continued to listen.

"We know that one lion simply can't overthrow Vuta, but maybe if we work together and we're determined to give that bastard a taste of his own medicine, maybe we could actually bring his reign of terror to an end and steer the Pridelands back to the way it was?"

After a brief pause, Gamba looked up at Keisha, a smile of determination wide across his face.

"I'm ready,"

"Good, I'll round up Cree and the others and we'll head back to Pride Rock."

As Keisha darted towards the hyenas, Gamba thought to himself. He was certain that Vuta would easily overthrow the two young adults, providing that he was a lot stronger and smarter than the two. He wondered if all of this was even worth the risk of losing their lives.

"Are you coming?" Keisha inquired, her eyebrow cocked in confusion.

"Right behind ya," he exclaimed as he galloped behind her and followed her to the hyena's sleeping spot.

* * *

><p>"I'm starving!" Nama moaned. "I haven't eaten in days."<p>

"_**Hey, Princess?!**_" Obi spat. "When are you gonna catch some breakfast?"

"Me?" Keisha scoffed. "I haven't caught anything bigger than a rabbit."

"Well you better think fast! You won't like me when I'm hungry."

"We don't like you now," scowled Cree, triggering a laugh from her lioness friend.

"_Well_…my grandfather _did_ have a solution to hunger when there wasn't any meat around." Keisha mentioned with a devilish smile.

"**Well say it!**" groaned Nama. "I don't know how much longer we can take it."

Keisha broke from the path and slowly crept towards a log thrown to the side. With her paw, she snapped the uprooted hollow in half and revealed the hordes of slimy grubs that lingered on it.

"You're out of your mind!"

"You've **got** to be kidding me!"

"**No way! No how!**"

"Not so hungry anymore, are you?" Keisha smiled, rolling the log away with her hind leg.

When she didn't hear a response, she swiftly headed back to the front of the pack and ordered the bothersome siblings to shut up and let her concentrate. Hours passed and the quintet felt like they were going in circles.

"Come on, Gamba, don't you know where you're going?" Nama scoffed. "My paws are killing me!"

"Of course he does!" Keisha shot back in his defense. "…errr…do you?"

"Well….uhhh…no."

"**What?!**" the remaining four shot back.

"Then where have you been going all this time?" Cree scowled.

"Relax, I'm trying."

"I'm still hungry," Obi moaned.

"Well we'll stop here and you can get lunch."

"And don't try to pull anymore of that grub crap on us either." Nama muttered as she and Obi looked for a place to rest themselves.

"Cree, stay here so these two don't inexplicably hurt themselves." Keisha ordered as she and Gamba roamed the lands in search of food.

* * *

><p>"I'm starved," Taj moaned as he stretched across the branch he was resting on.<p>

"Well get off your lazy butt and start looking." an irritated Latifa snapped. "Besides, it's _your_ turn today."

"Ughh, fine."

He lifted himself up steadily and leapt back down to ground level in search of some midday catch. He was the least skilled hunter in the sibling trio, due to his gender and his poor reflexes in general, but he insisted he was strong enough to partake. He recited the first few steps under his breath, a mixture of what both Jamilla and Kovu taught him in his youth.

"Step one: Stay cool and collective."

"Step two: Blend with your surroundings and don't make a sound."

"Step three: Use the element of surprise and attack when it's least expected."

His eyes fixed onto a frail little grazer that likely lost track of its herd. As he leapt for his target, he collided into a blur of light brown fur. The culprit, a young lioness, snarled in frustration as an arrogant Taj secured the carcass underneath his paw.

"Let it go!" she hissed. "I saw it first."

"You snooze, you lose, girly." Taj mocked as he hauled his food away and began his victorious march towards the others.

"**You heard her!**" a louder, more masculine voice roared. "**Drop it!**"

Taj turned around and saw the lone lioness was now accompanied by a male that was just a bit taller, but much stronger. Fearing for his life, he frantically took off and the male sped after him.

"Where are you going, Gamba?" the lioness asked quizzically.

"Just go back with the others, Keisha." he insisted. "I'm gonna have a little one-on-one with this guy."

Keisha complied as Gamba rushed into the forests after Taj, but she was hindered by a strange lion who blocked her way.

"Move," the frustrated lioness uttered fiercely.

"I don't wanna have to hurt you, little girl." the older lion said in a gruff voice. "Run along now."

"**How dare you?!**" the female roared again, pouncing onto her intruder.

The brown lion swatted her away, sending her tumbling into the dirt below. She brushed herself off and leapt for her target again, but he swiftly dodged and she missed. She latched onto his hind leg and tried to bite, but the dark brown lion immediately noticed and his leg lifted off the ground with such force that it sent Keisha flying into the air, falling hard on her side. She looked up at the lion feebly and he slowly approached her, looking down at the weak lioness with a victorious smirk etched across his muzzle.

"Now let's have a closer look at you, rogue." he smiled as his pupils scanned her features.

When he noticed the uncanny similarities they both shared, he inched away in shock. Flashbacks zoomed through his memory and he finally realized who it was.

"Keisha…**Keisha!**" he gasped. "I'm so sorry, kiddo. Are you hurt?"

"How do you know my name?" murmured the injured lioness, her fur caked in dirt and grass and a slight limp in her foreleg.

"Keisha…? It's _**me**_—your father!"

Her head buzzed and her vision remained stirred and blurry. The figure in front of her was merely a distorted blur of brown and black.

"**How dare you make such jokes?!**" she snarled, blindly swatting her father across the cheek.

"Keisha! What's gotten into you?!" the lion exclaimed, a slight tremor in his hind leg.

"**My father died a long time ago!**" Keisha howled, ramming the mystery lion into the ground. "**I should kill you for having such morbid humor!**"

She swatted at him again, and he emitted a painful groan and his head came in contact with a nearby rock. She looked down at her defeated opponent, but her weakness overpowered her, and soon, she found herself collapsed on the floor, her head throbbing and her vision poor. Before she passed out, her vision got slightly better and she got a clearer glimpse of who she was fighting. Then she recognized him. The chocolate brown fur, the glossy black mane, the lively eyes of teal, and that distinctive scar that adorned his left eye. His eyes were slightly ajar and he wasn't responsive. Keisha could do nothing but look on in horror as she realized that the mystery lion _was_ in fact her father.

"_Oh God…__**NO!**__" _she thought to herself before everything went pitch-black.

* * *

><p><strong>Way to go, genius. You've gravely injured your father who you thought's been dead for years. :P Stay tuned to see if Kovu and Keisha pull through their injuries! Thanks for reading!<strong>


	21. Chapter 21: Acceptance

**Chapter 21 is here! I'd say in about 2 or 3 chapters, this thing will be finito. :D **

**Ke-Ke Shan: Thanks! And where have you been?**

**Can'thinkofasuitableusername: Thanks for reading! Glad you like the cliffhangers. :D**

**Hippalektryon: Nice username! XD Thanks for reading! **

**Comicfan209: Your reviews are hilarious. xD And they were acting pretty stupid back there, weren't they? Thanks for reading!**

**Vitani825: Yep, and he isn't gonna be so mean anymore. Thanks for reading. **

**Now onto the chapter, yes? **

* * *

><p>~21~<p>

"_Do you think they're alive?_"

"_Let's kick her in the face and find out._"

"_Shut up, Jelani!_"

"_This is crazy. Didn't they realize they were father and daughter before they started fighting?_"

"_Obviously not. You get Keisha while Jabari and I haul Uncle Kovu on our backs._"

"_Okay._"

It was silence from then on. The two unconscious lions felt a splash of water on each of their faces and they woke up, their mind in a blur.

"Wha…where am I?" muttered the younger of the duo as she rose from her spot.

"You're up!" Raisa said with a wide grin. "We thought you'd never wake up. I'm Raisa, my sister's Latifa, and my big brother's Taj. And you already know Jelani and Jabari, I assume."

"But…I…they were dead." the lioness said in a painful groan.

"No, they're very much alive!" the younger lioness insisted. "They're just gathering some food for you and Kovu. I'll run along and tell your friends that you're awake now, is that alright with you?"

Keisha nodded meagerly and Raisa and her siblings bounded for Gamba, who shot off from the group of lions and back with the other hyenas, who got curious as to where the two disappeared off to.

"Keisha…" a male voice said faintly to her.

She turned around to her father, who was finally awake after being knocked out.

"Daddy, I'm _so_ sorry," she gasped, nestling herself into his body. "I had no idea what I was doing."

"It's alright," he smiled. "We were both acting like a couple morons out there."

Keisha slightly chuckled to herself and nuzzled her head into the depths of his silky, black mane, reminiscing about the times she used to lay with her father as a cub.

"How did you survive?" she inquired after a brief moment of tranquil silence.

"Everything's a bit stirred as of now, but I remember, I'd just found out that Zarina had been killed by the hyenas and before I knew it, Zira and Vuta threw me off the embankment. I must've lost my memory or something because I didn't remember who I was for all these years. Up until the moment I got thrown into that rock, I was a completely different lion."

"Well I'm just glad you're alright," the daughter said with a content purr as she gave her father a loving nuzzle.

"Well, I thought you'd never wake up, Sleepyhead." Jelani teased as he approached the two.

Keisha squealed with delight as she latched onto her long lost cousin.

"You've grown so much," she smiled. "Look at you! You're mane is so thick and full."

"Ummm….thanks? I guess I can say the same about you. Are you two feeling better?"

"Yeah," father and daughter replied in unison.

"Well we brought you a little something if you're hungry." Jabari noted as he spread across a small herbivore he and Jelani hunted down. "Don't move along too much now."

"We won't." Keisha responded with an assuring smile.

* * *

><p>As the time passed, Keisha confessed what had happened to the Pridelands under Vuta and Zira's rule, and not surprisingly, Kovu was furious.<p>

"_**He did what?!**_" he snarled.

"He brought all the loyal hyenas back to the Pridelands." Keisha spoke solemnly. "Sure it wasn't a lot like it was in Scar's reign—but they're still incredibly vicious and dangerous."

"Just wait till I get my hands on that son of a—."

"Please, Daddy, just relax." Keisha scowled. "I don't want you stressing yourself over this."

She still didn't want to tell her about Kijana, her rape, or her engagement to Vuta. It'd only hinder his progress to recovery. Before long, an exhausted Kovu fell asleep while he continued to stay on bed rest. Keisha grew restless and readied herself to leave, but she wanted to stay with her father since she had so much catching up to do and vice-versa.

"Hey, feeling better?" Gamba said in a whisper as he approached the lioness for a nuzzle.

"Yeah," Keisha smiled. "Did you get that lion who stole our lunch?"

"Pssh, no." the male scoffed. "He off blubbering like a cub. I gave him a break—he's been through enough for one day."

Keisha laughed warmly as she nestled herself into her mate's warm fur.

"You can't be here for too long." Keisha whispered. "Daddy's right next to us."

"What?! He's still alive."

"Yeah. He survived the ambush…"

"Well relax, Keish…he's sleeping like a baby."

"So what? This is just so uncomfortable."

"Come on, he wouldn't know…"

In an instant, Gamba looked up, and Kovu, who roused out of his slumber a few minutes back, slammed a paw into his face. Keisha looked on in horror and Kovu regained his composure.

"What the hell do you think you're doing to her?!" he hissed.

"I wasn't doing anything to her," Gamba shot back in a groan as he rubbed a paw on the right side of his head.

"God, Gamba are you alright?" Keisha inquired with concern as she wrapped her arms along his body.

Kovu looked on, and his teal eyes shot wide open when he heard that name.

"_Gamba…_"

The name echoed in his head. He surveyed his features. There was something about those unique green eyes that was strikingly familiar. And in the blink of an eye, a flashback rushed into his memory. He was back at the waterhole. Keisha was there. Zarina and Jelani too. Then, the mysterious lion with two hyena pups behind him, pale from fright.

_"What happened?"_

_"He scratched me."_

_"__**Where did you come from?**__"_

_"I-I-uh live in a pride a couple miles from here."_

_"__**You and your friends get out before I do it for you.**__"_

The cub looked up at him, begging for mercy, donning the same soulless orbs of olive-green this one possessed.

_"Enjoy your reign while you can, Kovu. Because once the time is right, Zira and I__**will**__kill you and we__**will**__reclaim what's ours."_

_"My mother is dead!"_

_"You fool! I found her and nursed her back to health. She doesn't deserve a son like you. You're no king, you're a__**traitor**__!"_

"Gamba, are you in here?" Nama inquired as she fought through the shrubs.

Obi was right behind her and the two greeted their friend in unison.

"We finally found you!" Nama said with a smile of relief widening across her muzzle. "Now let's ditch these losers and head back home."

It was the mischievous trio that'd snuck into the Pridelands all those years ago. That lion _was_ Keisha's son and they were _**in love**_?!

"No…" Kovu uttered. "She couldn't have…she didn't."

A flame ignited in his usually calm green eyes and he belted out an angry roar.

"Daddy?" Keisha murmured.

"How could you do this to our family?!" he growled, quickly approaching them. "**Do you have no respect for Simba or Zarina—for you?!**"

Keisha's eyes darted frantically, trying to come up with a possible reason to ebb some of her father's anger.

"He's a changed lion!" she told him. "I'm telling you!"

"Someone like him could _**never**_ change!" the angry father responded. "I can't believe you'd lower yourself like that!"

Cree and the rest of the Horus pride quickly went to investigate why Kovu was yelling.

"What's the matter, Uncle Kovu?" Jelani questioned with a cocked brow.

"Tell that to her!" Kovu scowled. "She decided to mate with that murderer."

"Fine…" the frustrated lioness snarled. "Let's go guys."

Gamba and the hyenas trailed behind her, feeling Kovu's fiery glare pierce their bodies.

"Everyone go to sleep, now!" Kovu ordered. "I've been through enough today."

Four of the five complied and headed to their beds. Jelani slowly crept behind his uncle.

* * *

><p>"How could she do this to me?" he groaned. "How could she embarrass our family like this?"<p>

"Ehhh…Uncle Kovu, I might've had something to do with this…" Jelani responded cheekily as he approached him.

"Jelani, go away." Kovu warned. "I'm honestly not in the mood to hear what you're about to tell me."

"But it's important." Jelani begged.

Kovu gave in and Jelani readied to speak.

"Well," he started. "I remember this one day, we were both adolescents. She came up to me out of nowhere, and well…she asked me if I'd get with somebody who was evil."

"And what did you say?" questioned Kovu, effectively reeled into Jelani's story.

"I uh…might've told her…that maybe she'd turn over a new leaf and—."

"_**Why would you tell her that?!**_" the brown lion chided.

"God, Kovu! I didn't know she was gonna hook up with _**him**_!"

The two stood silent for some time.

"We should really give him a chance." Jelani spoke. "He looks different now. Besides, why would he be out here miles from the Pridelands _with_ Keisha if he was still following Vuta? He's definitely changed—all of them have."

"Well, go round up the others." Kovu ordered calmly. "We're going back to Pride Rock to take what's rightfully mine."

Jelani beamed at his brave uncle as they both dashed for the other four lions. When they were gone, two shadows lurked in the area.

"So _that's_ what they're trying to do." Nama smirked. "They're trying to overthrow Vuta."

"This is horrible, Nama." Obi gasped. "What's he gonna do?!"

"_**We're**_ gonna make sure those stinking lions don't even make it past the borders." Nama grinned devilishly.

"We'll be heroes!"

"Right! And we'll finally get the respect we deserve."

She fled the scene and jerked he head back towards her brother.

"Let's go before they get suspicious!" she called to Obi.

"I just thought he'd be a little more accepting." Keisha sighed to herself as she slowly padded North.

"He's just a bit angry." Cree insisted. "I'm sure he'll get out of it sooner or later."

"I just hope so,"

Their train of thought was abruptly interrupted when a masculine voice called out to them. Keisha swiftly turned back and saw the familiar faces.

"Daddy?!" she beamed. "You've decided to help us?!"

"We're all fighting for the same cause, are we not?" Kovu said heartily.

"I think he'll be very pleased to meet all of you." the lioness laughed.

"He wouldn't even have time to react!" Jelani gloated. "Now let's go. The faster we get there, the quicker I can slam a paw into that tyrant's face."

By next noon, the group found themselves by the borders.

"Vuta always has hyenas patrolling," Keisha noted. "We have to be extra careful and not make too much of a scene."

"So we'll split up?" Gamba inquired.

"Good idea."

She pointed to Latifa, Taj and Jabari.

"Jabari, you'll take these two, and Jelani, take Cree and Raisa to safety. **Make sure you don't draw **_**any**_** attention from the others.**"

They complied to Keisha's demands and the groups of three went their separate ways.

"Now Nama and Obi will have to distract the patrollers and Gamba, you, Kovu and I will head into the Pridelands and from then—."

"_Oh Princess,_" Nama said ruthlessly. "I'm afraid we can't let you do that."

"What do you mean?!" Keisha retorted, turning back to the twins.

"This journey's about to come to a gory end." the hyena chuckled as her sharp claws escaped from its sheath and she neared them.

"_**We trusted you!**_ How could you do this to us?"

"You're far too naïve," Obi smirked. "**Now you'll die for it!**"

* * *

><p><strong>Looks like trouble. Oooooo. :P <strong>

**Stay tuned to see what happens! Thanks for reading! :)**


	22. Chapter 22: The Final Fight

**One more chapter until this story is COMPLETE. God…it feels so good saying that. Be advised that these two chapters will probably be pretty long since I have so much to say in these final two. Just a heads up. :P Now onto the reviewers because this process wouldn't be half as eventful if it weren't for your words of motivation and humor. :D**

**- comicfan209: Hah! They're not exactly the brightest bulbs in the bunch. Pimp Named Slickback?! xD I didn't know you watched Boondocks too! I learn more about you everyday. :D**

**- Hippalektryon: Thanks! I'm glad you happy with the story so far! **

**- can'thinkofasuitableusername: Bunch of troublemakers, aren't they? :P Thanks for reading! **

**Anyway, enjoy chapter 22! **

* * *

><p>~22~<p>

"Vuta!" a hyena panted as she galloped towards the pacing king. "Word is, there's a bunch of rogues heading towards Pride Rock!"

Almost two days had elapsed since he last saw his bride. He knew that Keisha was probably with them, or they at least had information about her whereabouts.

"Is she with them?" he inquired.

"We're not too certain," the hyena responded. "But we know that there's a hyena with them."

"Cree…" he smirked with a devilish intent. "I knew she'd be crawling back. She knows what happened to my little bride, and I'll make sure she fesses up."

He turned his focus back onto the puzzled hyena.

"You and two others search the lands for these rogues," he demanded as he slipped towards the back of Pride Rock. "I have _personal_ matters to take care of."

The subject complied and she dashed off. Vuta crept towards the area where Kiwa and Nala usually liked to lounge with the cubs. When Kiwa's eyes strayed from her grandsons to the mighty tyrant, she gasped in horror.

"Vuta!" she exclaimed. "What's wrong?!"

"Don't play dumb with me, you old bat!" he snarled. "Where's that daughter of yours?"

"I-I have no idea where she went off to!" Kiwa insisted. "She took off in the middle of the night."

"_**I have no time for games!**_" he roared impatiently. "_**Now tell me what you know or you'll die!**_"

"_**I'll never tell you where she is!**_"

"Then I'm afraid your punishment is…**DEATH**."

As he said that, two hyenas loomed from the dark shadowy ledges of Pride Rock, swatting Kiwa to the floor and finishing her while Vuta swatted away Nala, who made a futile attempt to defend her friend. The two both fell to the ground in an unconscious state, while Kijana, Ekon and Umi quivered in fear, inching towards the walls of the den, trying to get away from the lion that caused so much harm.

"Don't be shy, little one." Vuta chuckled with a toothy grin. "Daddy will take very good care of you."

He turned to the other two hyenas.

"Take the pups and follow me," he demanded, carrying his son by the nape of his neck. "They'll make the perfect ransom."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, by the borders, the scene between the lions and the hyenas was enough to divert the attention of the current patrollers.<p>

"Nama, don't do this!" Gamba begged. "We can work it out."

"**Out of my way!**" she cackled. "I'm not going after _**you**_."

She fixed her eyes onto Keisha and her mouth curled into a ruthless grin.

"I've been wanting to do this for _**ages**_. You've changed Gamba, and I'm gonna get rid of you—whether he likes it or not." she laughed as she got into her position.

"Nama, you have no chance against us." Keisha insisted, growing weary and impatient. "We don't want to have to hurt you. Just stay on our side and nothing bad will happen."

"**I'LL ****NEVER**** BE ON YOUR SIDE!**" the hyena roared as she leapt for her target.

Kovu sprang into action, swiping the hyena away and taking matters into his own paws.

"**I have her down!**" he shouted. "Both of you head for Pride Rock, now!"

"Not so fast!" laughed an energized Obi as he latched onto Keisha's hind leg and bit hard.

"_**Damn it!**_" cried the lioness as she fell to the ground.

The other hyenas leapt on top of her and Nama tried to break free from Kovu's grip, but her attempts were no use. Gamba's orders fell on deaf ears and Keisha's painful grunts and the hyena's cacophonic song of victory pealed through the lands. Frustrated, he grabbed one of the hyenas by his mouth and threw him into the ground with such force, rendering him into an unconscious state.

"**Gamba, no!**" Nama cried, still under Kovu's mighty grip. "**What are you doing?!**"

He ignored her and grabbed another by the hind leg and sent him flying through the air, landing hard head-first onto the ground, killing him instantly. He swatted Obi away from the lioness, reluctant to cause harm to the hyena who'd been one of his best friends since cubhood. Keisha looked up, her hind leg stained in blood.

"Are you alright?" Gamba asked, frightened for her well-being.

"I'm fine," she insisted. "Just a little cut."

Nama grunted with effort and frustration as she tried to wrestle out of Kovu's grip.

"Obi, you don't have to do this." Keisha insisted. "You can be on our side."

He seemed a bit reluctant and unsure of whose side to stay on.

"Come on, Obi." the lioness begged. "Please?"

Nama, who's blood began to boil escaped from Kovu's grip and headed towards Keisha.

"**How dare you try and brainwash my brother?!**" she growled murderously. "**Now you're really in for it!**"

But before she could attack her nemesis, she felt a sharp stinging pain in her lower abdomen. She looked down feebly, a pool of warm blood growing underneath her and Gamba's claws dug deep into her abdomen. Her breathes grew labored and her speech was shaky.

"_How could you?_" she croaked in her dying breath.

"Nama…" Gamba crooned as he cradled the hyena's chin in his paw.

He gracefully let go and she fell with a soft thud. Obi looked on in horror as he watched his little sister's dying moments.

"**Nama!**" he uttered in disbelief. "_**Nama, no! Don't leave me, Sis!**_"

He turned around, his maroon eyes burning with vengeance.

"Obi, I-I'm so sorry." Gamba insisted, he and Keisha inching away from the angered hyena.

"How could you do this to us—_**to Nama**_?!" he hissed.

His claws extracted to their zenith and the glint in his eyes showed he had no intent of leaving until all three lions were dead. The three got into their defensive stances, ready to take him on. But something was different. Obi stepped away, his gaze fixed from them to the lifeless corpse of his younger twin.

"Good-bye." he uttered, his index claw dangerously close to his throat.

Gamba's eyes widened in fear as he saw the sight.

"**OBI—NO!**"

But Obi wasn't moved. He collapsed onto the ground, a trail of blood streaming from his neck. He was at peace, knowing he and his sister would at least be together for all eternity.

"It's okay, Gamba." Kovu insisted, trying to move to distraught lion. "They're in a better place now."

"I guess…"

"Come on." Keisha suggested. "We have to go before we get caught!"

Gamba stayed behind for a second, still in disbelief that his best friends were now gone.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back at Pride Rock, Kiara and Fola headed to Pride Rock, only to discover Nala and Kiwa both passed out in front of them.<p>

"Mother!" Kiara exclaimed in horror, trying to rouse the knocked out lioness.

"Kiwa, are you alright?!" Fola asked, nudging the hyena with her paw.

Both ladies woke up, their mind distorted and a bit frenzied.

"I'm so glad you're alright," Kiara said with immense relief as she gave her aged mother a warm embrace.

"Kiara, it was horrible," Kiwa gasped once she regained her composure. "He came here and knocked both of us out asking for Cree."

"_**Where are the cubs?!**_" Nala ejaculated, noticing that the young ones vanished without a trace.

"There's no doubt in my mind Vuta took them." Fola snarled.

"He was ready to kill Kijana during the trials." Kiwa fretted. "Imagine what intents he has up his sleeve!"

"Fola, fetch Rafiki." Kiara ordered.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Come you two," the golden lioness resumed, helping both her mother and her friend up on their feet. "You two rest in the den while we look for the cubs."

The lion and hyena were escorted back to the den while the rest of the lionesses that were strong enough dispatched, searching through thick and thin for the missing cubs.

* * *

><p>"Stay in place!" Jabari chided silently to Latifa as he overlooked the scene.<p>

"Stop overreacting!" she scoffed. "There's nothing anywhere near here, Jabari!"

"You know what?" the male groaned, his patience running extremely low. "There's a freaking lion twice our damn size ready to bite into anyone stupid enough to go in its way. So will you just stop thinking you know everything for once in your life and just listen to me?!"

"I don't have to take that from you!" the lioness scoffed smugly. "_**Tell him, Taj!**_"

"I think uhh…you better listen to him, Tifa." Taj responded, trying to sway his sister out of her temper tantrum.

"Ughh, whatever!" she moaned, departing from the group.

"_**Where are you going?!**_" Jabari yelled.

"My own way!" Latifa shouted back, a few decibels higher than his. "I'd rather get to Pride Rock while I'm still young. _**So long, loser!**_"

"_**Wait!**_" Taj said, his voice filled with worry as he bolted for his runaway sister.

Jabari looked on for a few seconds before he scoffed and turned away.

"_To hell with them._" he thought. "_I have better things to worry about._"

* * *

><p>"This place scares the crap outta me." Cree winced. "It just gives off this weird, eerie vibe."<p>

"Just stay close, and you'll be fine." Jelani assured. "I've been to the Elephant Graveyard tons of times."

"I just hope so. I want to see my pups badly. I miss them so much."

"You'll see them soon…I promise. Now let's head out."

Raisa trailed just a few yards behind them, intrigued by the endless geysers, simultaneously spouting gusts of hot steam. Overcome by curiosity, she lingered from the duo, ready to learn more about this mysterious land.

"This is crazy!" she uttered under her breath. "I've never seen anything like it."

Her eyes caught sight of a dirt-stained elephant skull.

"Wow, that thing must've been here for _ages_," she cooed in awe as she mounted herself onto the trunks and climbed upward.

With effort, she climbed to the top, her eyes sporting a glint of childish wonder in her eyes of azure as she looked on at the hordes of massive bones that were revealed as the clouds of wafting dirt and dust parted.

"This is amazing!" she gasped.

Her train of thought was interrupted suddenly when a large geyser erupted in front of her, and sent the frightened lioness tumbling back to the ground and snapping back into reality.

"What…" she groaned. "Where's Jelani?"

She scoped the scene in hopes of finding her friend, but he nor the strange hyena could be found.

"Crap," she scoffed. "Now I _really_ got myself in trouble."

Then, yet another sound caught her ear. It was soft mewling!

"It sounds like a little cub," she murmured to herself.

No wait…two! Then another mew. Three of them!

"How'd they wind up in here? I better do something!"

* * *

><p>"I wonder where she went off to…" Jelani spoke, taking note of Raisa's disappearance. "I wonder where she went off to."<p>

"Uhh…sorry to burst your bubble, kid, but your little girlfriend is the _last_ of our troubles."

Jelani looked back at her quizzically, and Cree pointed up, revealing the pair of hyenas that gawked at them from the heights, a sinister sneer on each of their faces. In an instant, they leapt from their respective spots, each taking on one enemy each.

"**Get off me!**" the tan lion roared as he threw his opponent off of him.

"_**Tell us where the princess is, Cree!**_" the other hyena ordered sharply, applying pressure to the hyena's windpipe.

"You're wasting your time!" she spat back bitterly. "_**I'll never tell you!**_"

"Don't be so foolish, girl. If you realized that your cub's lives were at stake, you'd spill the beans."

Cree's fighting spirit intensified at those words and her eyes had a menacing glint in them. She kicked her hind leg forcibly into the hyena's abdomen, and he howled in pain as his grip softened and he rolled on the floor, successfully defeated to give Cree and Jelani enough time to escape.

"Let's just find Raisa and the cub and get out of here!" she scowled.

"If those two tried to kill us back there, imagine what they have in store for them…"

* * *

><p>"Hey there, Little Fellas." Raisa cooed, peering into the cub's secret hiding place. "Now how'd you three wind up in here?"<p>

The cubs were hidden cleverly in the skull of an elephant. The echoes of cackling hyenas filled the area, and the cubs whimpered and scurried further away from the lioness.

"I won't hurt you, Sweetie." she said with a motherly smile. "I'll help the three of you."

"_**Let those cubs go!**_" a shrill female voice demanded sternly.

She took a heavy gulp, fearing the worst. An angry queen, or minion of the king. Nevertheless, she turned around and saw Vitani and Kandi looking very impatient and angry.

"Go back home to Mommy, little girl." Vitani mocked.

"Vitani's right—we'll handle it from here." Kandi added.

"First off, I'm not a little girl!" the young lioness retorted with a rigid hint in her tone. "And I won't be going home! I found these cubs, and I'm bringing them to safety!"

"Oh please, child." Vitani groaned, her patience running low.

"Let's get on with it." Kandi concluded, her claws unsheathed. "The quicker we get rid of this rogue, the happier I'll be."

"_**Rogue?! But I'm not a rogue!**_"

"Then what are you?" Kandi inquired, getting in the lioness' face.

"I'm a member of the Horus Pride. My brother and sister got sent here with Kovu, Jelani and Jabari to overthrow Vuta."

The older lionesses jumped back in shock, their eyes widened in disbelief.

"She couldn't be talking about _our_ Kovu…" Vitani said to her counterpart.

"Or _our_ Jelani and Jabari…could she?" Kandi added with an equal amount of bewilderedness.

"I'll take you to them…" Raisa chirped. "Well…if I can find them."

"Then so be it!" Vitani spoke with a glimmer of hope in her voice. "Take us to our boys!"

The trio each grabbed a cub and followed Raisa as she blindly led her followers to different parts of the never-ending graveyard, hoping that she'd at least catch a slight glimpse of her tan-furred pridemate somewhere.

* * *

><p>"Odd…" Fola uttered to herself as she saw a group of two mysterious and never-before-seen lions head towards Pride Rock.<p>

Automatically, she assumed the bunch were a duo of rogues who'd wandered into the Pridelands, hoping to cause more trouble.

"**Hey, you two!**" she boomed, bolting from her original spot. "**You gotta get outta here now!**"

They ignored her and continued to walk despite her threats. She leapt in front of the leader, a snarl swept across her usually calm and benevolent face.

"**Did you hear what I said?!**" she scowled.

"Yeah, but we chose to ignore you!" the lioness scoffed rudely.

"Easy, Latifa!" the male commented between clenched teeth.

"_**Do you know what I do to little lions who like to run off at the mouth?!**_" Fola growled in defense. "It isn't pretty, so don't push your luck, hon."

"What me and my brother do here is none of your business!" Latifa spat. "Now leave us alone, Granny."

The duo left, but Fola wasn't ready to leave without some well-deserved victory.

"I didn't wanna have to do this," she growled. "But someone oughta give you a smack or two around that fat, conceited head of yours."

Latifa inched away, slightly threatened by the angered lioness, but hide her fear from her opponent.

"Stay out of my way!" she warned. "I'm not the one to be messed with."

"Enough games, kid." the older of the lionesses said curtly. "Now I'm gonna give you the beating you deserve."

Jabari witnessed the scene from afar and selflessly pushed the lioness away, pinning her on her side.

"What's the deal, lady?" he scoffed.

The disgruntled lioness looked up, but her mouth stayed agape when she surveyed the familiar features.

"Jabari?" she said breathlessly. "You're alive?!"

"Fola?" the lion replied with child-like giddiness.

"I can't believe you've been alive for all these years!" Fola squealed, on the brink of tears as she latched onto her brother, with no intent of letting him go.

"I'm just glad you're alright…" Jabari said with a warm smile.

The scene was enough to warm even Latifa's stone-cold heart. But the scene wasn't as touching to another certain spectator.

"Isn't this adorable?" the male voice chuckled. "Two long-lost twins reunited at last."

"Vuta!" Fola exclaimed with a look of horror etched on her face.

"Looks like my attempts at getting rid of you and that other brat earlier were a bit rusty." he commented nonchalantly as he played with his claws. "_**Well then, let's do this once and for all.**_"

"_**Why are you such a tyrant?!**_" Latifa interjected. "_**I think you better leave us alone before things get ugly!**_"

Vuta was slightly taken back by the spunky lioness' threat, but regained his masculinity and readied to ram a paw through her face when a loud roar stopped all activity. Everyone quickly turned to the source: three lions, their identities masked by the shadows that lingered in the dim area. Yet, one was ever too familiar to the king's eye.

"_Aaahh, my bride!_" he cooed. "Come closer so I can get a better look at you, my pet."

"Vuta, your period of tyranny is _**over**_!" she bellowed.

"You in what army, you foolish girl?" he cackled arrogantly.

Our of the shadows loomed the second figure.

"_**You?!**_" he spat. "How did they let you pass?!"

"Don't flatter yourself, Vuta." Gamba scoffed. "Your security's lousy."

"**Why have you come back, **_**fool**_**?!**"

"**You and Zira killed my parents!**" the young lion responded with a murderous intention. "I came to avenge their deaths—**by killing you**!"

By now, the scene had already managed to draw the attention of most of the search parties. Even Kiara, who worried for Kijana's welfare couldn't help but look on, fearful as to what would happen to her daughter now that she was back home and fearlessly confronting the mighty king.

"**Jokes on you, boy.**" the king said with a malevolent smirk. "**I'll kill you in the same manner I did to get rid of that father of yours.**"

Gamba was successfully riled up and he stood there, his lips curled into a vicious snarl and his claws unearthed from his paws, ready for battle.

"**How would your parents feel knowing their son was a puny, insignificant **_**WORM**_** like they were?**"

Mutters and faint conversations filled the area.

"**Gamba and I **_**will**_** defeat you!**" Keisha interjected sharply in his defense. "**And once we do, we'll get **_**married**_** and we'll dance on your grave as you rot in the ground like the ugly piece of garbage you are!**"

Vuta was ready to attack, but the third and final shadow intervened, pinning the lion down to the ground. The Pridelander lionesses jumped in shock as they laid eyes on the familiar lion.

"Kovu?" Kiara gasped in denial.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" he said.

"Kovu!" Vuta exclaimed. "**No you're dead!**"

"The Great Kings let me live for a purpose," Kovu muttered. "**And I'm fulfilling it now! Vuta, prepare to be vanquished!**"

An awestruck Kiara looked on, her amber eyes shining with unshed tears. Her mate had been alive for all these years. It was a miracle!

"_**Maybe I'll have a change of thought and let you watch the wedding before I kill you.**_" Vuta smirked as he gave Kovu a hard blow to the stomach.

"_**Don't touch her!**_" the brown lion hissed in response.

"Why so hostile, Kovu?" the king smirked as he paced the lion. "Your daughter isn't _nearly _as pure as you think she is. I guess it runs in the family…"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well nothing really…except that your precious little wife's been my mistress for years now, yielding a bastard cub."

"_**That's not true!**_" Kovu roared in denial.

"Oh, but it is! And trust me…your sweet little girl isn't too far behind. It was _such_ a pleasure taking her purity."

Enraged, the lion steadied himself onto his legs and looked up at the king, his mane hanging just below his smoldering teal eyes.

"So you're ready to put up a _fight_, Kovu?" the king spoke arrogantly. "_**Oh well then, I'll finish you off—for real this time!**_"

* * *

><p><strong>ONE more chapter until Sweet Revenge's EPIC conclusion. Expect the chapter sometime towards the end of this week! You don't wanna miss it! <strong>


	23. Chapter 23: The Taste of Sweet Revenge

**Took a lot longer than I expected it too! xD This chapter was originally supposed to be posted on Friday, but I had to go on a college tour. Plus, I had a bit of writer's block for the past few days and I was insanely tired once I got home. :P Now onto my final reviewer response to this story: :(**

**- Fluttershypuff: Welcome back! :) And yep, the story's finished in 23 chapters. Funny cause you have 23 stories. xD. Thanks for reading!**

**- can'thinkofasuitableusername: Thanks! It's been awesome hearing from your inputs throughout this whole process! And you write very fantastic stories yourself! :D**

**- lionkingfan: Well you're about to find out! Thanks for reading! :)**

**- Emily642: Haha, thanks. :)**

**- Hippalektryon: Let's hope he gets what's coming to him. :)**

**- comicfan209: Oh yeah, the cubs Raisa found were Kijana and the pups, but I didn't specify enough. My fault. :S Thanks for pointing that out, and better yet, thanks for reading! :D**

**Now, finally, after err…three, maybe four (?) years of waiting, here's what you've all been waiting for: the dramatic, blood-filled conclusion to Lion King 3: Sweet Revenge!**

* * *

><p>~23~<p>

The wind intensified and rain began to pour down. Nyoni lounged in Rafiki's baobab tree as he chanted Swahili phrases and his paint-sodden fingers danced along the walls of his baobab tree.

"Looks like a winter storm is coming in," Nyoni commented, wrapping her wings tight around her shivering body.

Rafiki paused and scurried to the mouth of his tree's hollow, taking a moment to study the sudden change of the weather. The hollowed out shells of fruit clunked together as the wind tossed it around, a sign that the Great Kings had news, well…according to him.

"The _tween _power!" he exclaimed. "**It has arrived!**"

"Not this again," the frustrated pink hornbill groaned.

"_**No, bird!**_" the old mandrill chided, wrapping his leathery palm across her beak. "The great change has come."

"Whaa gwaaae chaaaang?" the bird muffled sharply under the mandrill's obscuring hand.

Without another word, Rafiki ambled to the back of the hollow as it buzzed with cacophonic thuds and plunks as the winds snuck into the dimly lit hole. He cackled shrilly as Nyoni strolled in, a bit confused, but nevertheless, accepting of Rafiki's beliefs.

"Is it a _good_ change?" she inquired faintly.

"It's not too certain as of yet." he replied as he got together the various spices and plants. "Many outcomes are possible, but as of now, it's like an even balance."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back at the fight, Kovu and Vuta circled each other, their teeth bared and their razor sharp claws extracted to their maximum.<p>

"Why won't you fight me already?" Vuta scoffed. "Are you reluctant to make the first hit?"

"No," Kovu smirked. "I'm just making sure you enjoy your last few moments as king before I rip your throat out."

Vuta snarled and tried to swat the former king in retaliation, but Kovu dodged it and the scene erupted with cheers from the lionesses who watched as the battle ensued.

"_**Shut up!**_" Vuta boomed. "**Shut up, all of you!**"

"Give it up, Vuta." Kovu scowled. "Just step down and you'll leave unscathed."

"_I will…_**NEVER**_…step down._" the monarch snarled, his blue eyes narrowed in a murderous glare.

A few of his minions leapt out of the shadows, and onto the threat at Vuta's command. He sat, watching the view from afar. In a battle of one to about half a dozen, Kovu was greatly outnumbered.

"Come on, we gotta help him!" Keisha told Gamba. "This isn't a fair battle."

Gamba complied and the two rushed into the scene, swatting away the hyenas from the overwhelmed lion.

"**Get out of there, you little brats!**" he roared.

Even some of the other lionesses who served as spectators to the fight immediately joined in. Soon, the hyenas cowered away in fear behind their master.

"Why don't you fight yourself and not let your goons do the dirty work for you?" Kovu spat.

"Well, I tried to make this match as fair as I could." Vuta said with a warm laugh. "But if you want to be foolish enough to take me on…so be it."

He leapt down towards him, his blue eyes fastened into his opponent teal shaded irises and his lips curled into a hungry smile.

"Oh well then," he spoke nonchalantly as he emitted a deadly snarl.

He turned his focus to the crowd.

"All of you wretched Pridelander scum head home," he ordered firmly. "Any further onlookers will be killed."

The lionesses put up a fight, but with Vuta's loyal minions snapping at their feet, they had no choice but to grudgingly give in to their king's orders and leave their former king to fend for himself.

"Make sure Gamba and the other male stays," he continued. "This experience will toughen them up when their time comes."

Keisha looked at him, a hint of trepidation etched on her face.

"It's alright," Gamba assured. "We'll be just fine."

"He's right, Keisha." Vuta smiled. "I'll make sure your little friends' deaths are quick and painless."

Before she could even respond, the two hyenas growled at her, ordering her to go back to Pride Rock or face the consequences. As she reluctantly complied, her eyes locked into Vuta's menacing glare and she reluctantly left the trio. Not a sound could be heard, but the loud roar of the winter winds and the thunder as it rolled on by.

"You're a good liar." Vuta told Gamba with a sinister chuckle following it. "As if I'd _actually_ let you die painlessly."

He turned to Kovu.

"Make the first blow," the king beamed smugly. "I'd like to see what you've learned in that little vacation of yours."

Kovu snarled at him before he took off, his claw raking against Vuta's cheek. He jerked his head to the right, and despite the four newly carved claw marks glowing on the left side of his face, he didn't seem to be in any pain at all.

"_**That's nothing!**_" he smirked.

Kovu inched away as Vuta approached him. Vuta towered slightly over the already mighty Kovu, his paw slamming hard against Kovu's left side, sending him on the ground forcefully. He lifted himself up, ready to attack him, but Vuta grasped onto his foreleg with his mouth and his razor sharp teeth sunk through bones and all. Kovu belted a loud roar of distress and Vuta looked on, the corners of his mouth turning into a remorseless smile. Vuta finally released his grip after some time, his teeth coated in his opponent's blood and an agonized Kovu fell to the ground, his front limb in an unimaginable amount of pain. The other three lions looked on in horror at what they saw, unable to intervene due to Vuta's loyal hyenas.

"Weakling," he snarled. "Even your _little daughter_ was more difficult to kill than you."

Kovu looked up, an expression of determination and immense rage plastered across his face. He got up, despite all the pain, a heavy tremor in the injured, bloody foreleg. In an instant, he butted into his side, sending the startled king onto the ground. Without further thought, Kovu lunged the paw on his able foreleg at Vuta's paw, rendering him into a daze as his teeth aimed for his back, biting down hard onto his target. Vuta recollected himself soon after and kicked him away with his hind leg, but Kovu quickly recovered and he dodged Vuta's incoming attack.

"Stay still, damn it!" he bellowed as he tried to swat him again, with no result.

His slick coat was stained in crimson and he grew faint with each passing second. But he was determined to remain the king of the Pridelands. After a few unsuccessful attempts at hitting the lion, he grasped onto his hind leg, biting it and emitting a painful groan out of his victim. Kovu kicked him away, his paw slamming hard into his jaw. Vuta jerked away, feeling blood pool into his mouth.

"Enough!" he shouted. "_**I'm through playing games!**_"

He leapt onto his competition, his claws sinking deep into his skin and the two fell to the ground. Pinned under Vuta's paws, Kovu looked up at him, an angry scowl swept across his muzzle and his eyes fixed onto Vuta's, determined to get out of his hold and finish him off.

* * *

><p>"Where the hell are you taking us, kid?!" Kandi groaned in annoyance. "<strong>We've been going in circles since noon!<strong>"

"I know they're around here somewhere!" Raisa stammered. "T-They've gotta be!"

Raisa managed to find her way out of the graveyard, but she was still terribly lost and Vitani and Kandi were aware of her confusion.

"Why didn't you just let me kill her?" Vitani muttered to her friend. "She obviously doesn't know what she's talking about."

"She must! This _**can't**_ be a coincidence. It's impossible."

"Well something isn't right about this."

Vitani jerked her head towards the younger lioness.

"Look, if you know where Kovu and our sons are, tell us now and lead us to them. Otherwise, just admit you're a liar and we'll get rid of you like we should've."

A distinct snicker caught their attention and they looked towards the left, Kijana and the hyena pups held tightly in each lioness' grip.

"Problem, ladies?" he inquired.

"Get lost!" Kandi snarled. "We don't need you hyenas screwing everything up."

"I'm afraid you got our little ransoms. Now give it back!"

"_**NEVER!**_" roared the youngest of the trio of lionesses.

"Oh well then," the hyena said with smothered laughs as four more crept out of the shadows. "Now you'll die for it."

The storm began to intensify at this point, and thunder and lightning pierced through the usually tranquil skies of winter. The lionesses were reluctant to hit the hyenas, fearing they'd be too distracted by it to keep safe eye on the cubs. They inched away, glowers wide across their muzzles, the young ones held by the nape of their necks. The lightning grew vicious and the thunder boomed through the lands, scaring the three cubs.

"Don't worry, little ones." the canine smirked. "It will all be over soon…"

Another loud sound stabbed through the cacophony. It wasn't a thunder strike, but a loud roar coming from a lion.

"_**Let 'em go!**_" the source of the roar demanded firmly.

Lightning struck again, revealing his features in the brief, but bright light. Vitani's eyes widened in shock. The tan-fur, purple eyes, the glossy brown mane.

"Jelani!" she cried with joy.

"Come on, Cree!" he spoke as he leapt onto the kidnappers.

The fight was brutal and intense, but Jelani and Cree managed to beat them and most grudgingly accepted defeat. But the leader of the quintet refused to back down and charged at Raisa, who had Kijana secured in her mouth.

"Raisa, look out!" Jelani cried out, catching the female's attention.

She turned about face and dodged his attack but found herself trapped in a dugout that was too steep for her to climb back up. The hyenas loomed above her at the surface, getting ready to attack her, but another crack of thunder caught their attention. This was very different from the others however. It shook the lands and a bolt of lightning struck the ground, igniting the withering terrain. The dead grass sparked and a fire was born.

"_**Crap!**_" the hyena shouted before he left.

"_**What do we do?!**_" another one inquired.

"Leave her there to die!" the leader suggested. "The cub can too for all I care. Two less mouths to feed."

"**No wait!**" the lioness cried in horror.

But her efforts in getting their attention were futile, for her pleas were ignored and the heat grew more intense with each passing second.

"Give me the kid!" Vitani ordered, peering over the surface to catch her attention.

Raisa eyed the petrified lion cub and handed her over to Vitani, who lifted the little one back to safety.

"Come on, Raisa." Jelani told her calmly. "I'll get you outta here."

Raisa trembled, her body paralyzed in fear.

"Come on, Raisa!" the tan lion snapped in the heat of the moment. "We don't have much time."

She quickly complied, grabbing onto his forepaw. Once she was lifted back to the surface, she saw the sea of flames travel through the lands.

"We need to head back to Pride Rock…now!" Kandi ordered sharply, leading the way for the other members of her party.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back in the savannah, Kovu fell with a hard thud onto the ground below, his chest heaving in effort. He and Vuta had been sparring for a while now, each challenging each other's wits and brawns, but Vuta suddenly gained a jolt of power and Kovu's painful defeat neared with each coming second.<p>

"We have to help him." Gamba muttered to Jabari.

"_We_? As if I'd work with you!" the lion retorted. "After all you've done! Jelani and I almost died because of your stupid family!"

"They're not my real parents. In reality, they died at the hands of these tyrants. I wish I could take it back, Jabari." the younger lion insisted. "But right now, Kovu's getting tossed around like a rag doll and he needs our help."

Jabari looked away, a bit reluctant to pair up with the lion who'd cause so much pain previously.

"Fine," he scoffed. "Let's get this over with."

As they said that, Vuta's paw lined up against Kovu's windpipe. The brown lion was in incredibly bad shape. His fur was bloodied and bruised, and his eyes had a weary look to them. As much as he wanted to avenge Simba and Zarina's deaths he was in an agonizing amount of pain and it had taken its toll.

"That's enough, Vuta!" a voice boomed suddenly, drawing the king's attention.

"Couldn't stand to see me pulverize your little friend?" he chuckled. "It's alright. I was bored with it anyway."

Jabari and Gamba got into their posture, ready to pounce and attack, but Vuta stopped them.

"Don't be a coward," he snarled. "Fight me one-on-one."

Gamba growled back defensively at him, his claws raking against the ground. Jabari padded away to check on the badly injured Kovu.

"Ready to take your beating like Kovu did?" added a sarcastic Vuta.

"Like you should talk," Gamba scoffed. "It looks like you took a great deal of damage from him as well. _**Well time to finish you off**_!"

Vuta roared at him and leapt towards the lion, in an attempt to catch him and make the first attack. But Gamba swiftly moved away, sending him onto the ground, unharmed, but incredibly angry. He tried a few more times to hit him, but Gamba refused to submit to any of his blows.

"Why don't you take your blows like a real lion?!" Vuta snarled, growing frustrated with each miss.

After the last dodge, Gamba clawed into his neck, causing Vuta to grow even more irate and aim for him. This time, his attack proved successful and Gamba fell, blood seeping from his fresh battle wounds. He scratched him again, leaving a long mark from his front shoulder blade, all the way to his abdomen. He did this repeatedly until Gamba begged for him to stop. A stabbing pain overwhelmed the young lion as his eyes were shut tightly and his paw traced over his scars.

"You _really_ thought you could defeat _**me**_?" Vuta cackled as he loomed over his victim. "I loved you like a son, Gamba. I spoiled you **rotten**, I promised you the _**throne**_ once I died! And this is how you repay me?!"

He gave him a sharp blow in his stomach with his hind-leg, and Gamba gave out another pained yell as another excruciating feeling tore through his gored body.

"_**Damn it!**_" he croaked, overcome by pain.

Vuta looked down at him, his lips drawn back into a remorseless smile.

"This is just how your father looked before I killed him…" he muttered, his muzzle close to his ear. "You may not know much about them, but I'll be sure you endure the same fate."

Whether the hunger to avenge his parent's deaths motivated him, or the Great Kings assisted him in battle, Gamba gained a sudden sensation of energetic valor and he steadied himself onto his feet, much to Vuta's surprise. Nevertheless, the cocky lion readied to kill him. But he was taken aback when Gamba pounced onto him, biting into his shoulder blade. Vuta let out a piercing cry, one never heard from the strapping lion before, but Gamba refused to let go, and once he did, blood pooled from the large gashes, and before he could react, Gamba slashed him again in his face, right over his eyes. Vuta was rendered blind in the left eye and could hardly see Gamba's attacks, barely having time to counter before he was struck again. Gamba gave him one more smack and he fell on the ground with such power that the whole left of his body felt like it was burning and his bones shattered like glass. He found himself powerless under the paws of the one he'd bred to follow in his paw prints one day.

"You're stronger than I thought," he spoke hoarsely. "_You'd make a fine king one day…_son…"

Gamba inched away, keeping his demeanor in check.

"What are you implying?" he inquired, his paw still secured on each side of the weakening lion.

"Have you gone, mad?" Vuta snarled, knocking Gamba onto his back and slowly ambling towards him. "Have you forgotten who raised you, fed you, treated you like royalty? If I didn't love you, Gamba, I wouldn't have done _**half**_ those things for you."

"_Don't listen to him, Gamba!_" the young lion said to himself. "_He's just trying to trick you into not killing his sorry ass._"

"**Why didn't you treat me like this before?!**" he roared aloud. "**Why does it matter now that you're looking death in the eye?**"

"I mean it this time…we can finally have that father and son relationship…the way you wanted it to be."

"_**Gamba, ignore him!**_" Jabari yelled.

"_**SILENCE!**_" Vuta bellowed.

His voice lowered a few decibels and a fake smile widened across his muzzle.

"All you need to do…is kill Kovu, and I'll be like the father you never had."

Gamba hung his head, his mane veiling the green eyes that smoldered with rage just below it. He looked up, a murderous passion burning in his eyes.

"_**NEVER!**_" he cried, pinning the lion down.

"**Gamba, please, I'll change!**" Vuta begged, realizing his end was nearing with each coming minute.

"_There's no changing someone like you,_"

Gamba wrapped his jaw around Vuta's neck as his eyes grew wide with shock and a faint wheeze escaped his mouth as the pain intensified. When the flailing grew weaker and Vuta's body grew cold, he let go, a pool of blood quickly forming underneath his mane. Gamba looked down at him, his muzzle soaked in the enemy's blood. He beamed up at the sky, knowing he finally brought justice to his parents' untimely deaths, but something seemed wrong. The scent of smoke filled his nostrils and when he turned around, he noticed the sea of flames just about half a mile away.

"Quick!" he ordered Jabari. "_**We have to take Kovu and get outta here!**_"

The lion complied and as he hauled Kovu's lower body, Gamba heaved the remained and they walked back to Pride Rock, quick enough hoping to evade the rapidly growing flames, but slow enough to prevent any further bodily harm to Kovu.

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>No!<strong>_" Kiara cried out when she saw the flames. "**Kovu!**"

"**What about Kijana, where is he?!**" her daughter fretted as her eyes danced around the lands, searching for any signs.

"Don't worry, Keish." a female voice assured. "We have them right here."

Up the rocky stairway arrived Vitani, Kandi, Cree, and the missing cubs in each of their mouths.

"I'm so glad you're alright!" Keisha said with joy as she and Kiara took turns nuzzling the relieved cub.

"Did you miss me?" Cree cooed at her giggling pups as she gave each of them a loving lick. "I'll never leave you two alone again."

"Be sure about that," one of the hyena guards remarked. "Once Vuta comes back from that fight, he'll make sure that none of you Pridelander scum leave this rock ever again."

Keisha and Cree drew their lower lips into their mouths with worry that Vuta _may_ in fact come back and establish stricter rules after that huge ordeal—or worst—an execution. But all their troubles melted away when they saw Gamba and Vuta climb up, with Kovu secured on their backs. Kiara latched onto her injured husband, who'd just stirred back into consciousness just after he'd been lowered onto the floor by the two male lions.

"Listen," Gamba hissed as he confronted the pack of hyenas that were sent to guard the rock.

By the time Vuta died, the original pack of ten hyenas more than tripled since they arrived at Pride Rock.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll leave these lands and never come back!"

"Oh yeah?" scoffed one of them. "What are _you_ gonna do about it…?"

"You mean what are _we_ gonna do about it…" Jelani added scornfully as he and Jabari approached them, their teeth bared. "I haven't fought a hyena in a long time. I almost forgot the thrill I get when I bit into it."

Powerless without their leader, the hyenas scurried from the rock and headed to the borders. No one knows what happened for sure. Some say they were killed by famine and disease, while others say that they were caught by poachers, sold to humans and forced to join a circus or something like that, but whatever happened, they were never heard from again.

* * *

><p>"Well…what do we have heyyaa?!" Rafiki chuckled, with Nyoni perched on his shoulder. "De great change…has it arrived?!"<p>

It'd been a day since Vuta's death and the fire had finally died down.

"Vuta's dead, and Kovu's back!" Kiara rejoiced, nuzzling her husband as he returned the embrace. "It's a miracle!"

"I guess that special _tween_ power **did** exist after all," a dumbfounded Nyoni added.

"Of course it did!" the mandrill retorted. "You just had to believe in it, silly Nyoneee."

Nyoni gave a cheeky grin when Rafiki exchanged looks with her and she swooped from the mandrill's shoulder and towards Gamba and Keisha, who were locked in each other's arms, giving each other amorous embraces.

"Well I guess I owe you an apology, huh?" she winked.

"We all do," Nala answered, a proud grin etched across her face as she fastened her eyes onto Gamba. "The boy's a hero."

The older Pridelanders bowed before him, while the young cub and hyena pups looked at him, their smiles wide and their eyes gleaming with wonder at the bewildering sight.

"You've come a long way, Gamba." Kiara said with a grateful smile. "And we're proud of you…"

The humble lion drew back and gave a bashful grin as Keisha neared him, emitting a purr as she brushed against his chin. He finally found a real family that accepted him and genuinely loved him. As the weeks passed, stalks of fresh green grass grew from the ashes, beckoning the herds to come forth and graze. The clouds parted, revealing the starlit sky that had been hidden for so long behind the charcoal colored veils.

"I almost forgot how they looked," Kiara said with a joyous smile as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Don't cry," Kovu said with an assuring smile to his mate. "It will get better in time."

The two nuzzled one another as they gazed at the dark mantle that swept across the tranquil night. The stars never looked brighter.

* * *

><p><strong>And it's FINALLY finished. Heh. Cheesy way to end it, but I didn't want to make it all cliché with Keisha or Gamba getting married or having a cub or something. Plus, there WILL be a sequel to Sweet Revenge and I don't want to rush it. Hence, why there's some things that Kovu still hasn't found out (ie: Zira's death, and probably some other stuff too I forgot to mention). I'm still not sure about the title, but it will focus mainly on Kijana when he's a cub and his relationship with Kovu and how he tries to win him over despite their past.<strong>

**I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, followed, added it to their favorites, etc. It really meant a lot to me, and I'm thankful for it! I'll be taking a break from writing for a little bit once I get a few more chapters of the other stories out of the way to focus more on stories I've been wanting to read for the longest time, but never got a chance to. :P **

**Anyway, thanks for sticking through all 23 chapters. I love you all! :DD**

**~ PGM**


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